Honey & Kunai
by A.Himawari
Summary: Once upon a timeline -cough-Canon-cough- Hachimitsu Hachiko died. As a baby during the Kyuubi attack, its malicious chakra sent the wee baby girl into a coma where mentally she died and eventually her body gave out. However that is not the case here. In this timeline, Hachiko's body woke up but her mind/spirit was not from the shinobi world. [Self-Insert]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, um... I've never done this before so please bare with me as this is my first fanfic. I won't bother much with Author Notes but if I do, it'll be to clarify anything needed. Expect an update once a week unless I'm feeling over creative, then expect double or even triple chapters. But um, anyways, enjoy and thank you for reading.**

**Oh yeah before I forget, everyone does it so why not...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my adorable OC. Now on to the story, Osu!**

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><p><strong>One: A Realistic Kind of Dream<strong>

_'__Where am I?'_

I felt a flurry of warmness inside me spread to different areas in my body, all of it rushing out from an area in my tummy. It tickled and I wanted to move. I fluttered my eyes and tried to open them to see what was causing the warmness I felt moving but the light was blinding. So I kept them shut and sat up. My body felt stiff, as I fluttered my eyes to adjust to the light, my vision was met with white walls and a window facing a courtyard.

_'__Why do I feel different?'_

I looked down at my body and noticed that I wasn't exactly in the body of a 22-year-old. I froze and moved my left hand then my right hand so that I could see the palms. Then I looked to the IV in my arm and then I realized just how difficult it was to move my arms.

_'__Oh no.'_

I could feel my breathing becoming erratic. My chest was constricting, I was having a panic attack. I grabbed my head and then a cascade of long golden brown hair obscured my face.

_'__I don't have- W-what happened to my dark brown hair?! My face! I need to see my face!'_

My breathing was erratic. I tried getting off the bed only to fall and on the way down I made a lot of noise by knocking down the bedside table and the contents on top of it, a vase with a single sunflower. Glass fell all around me. I didn't notice when a nurse popped in and called for help.

"Calm down. Calm down. Someone get me the head medic! Can you please relax Hachiko-chan?" I froze at the name the nurse called me.

_'__Good she speaks a familiar language!'_

I tried to talk but no sound left my mouth. I instantly put my hands to my neck and my eyes were as wide as saucers.

_"__My voice?!" _I mouthed wordlessly. The nurse quickly moved her hands and they began glowing green. I froze watching her.

_'__No. No. No. No. NO. I did not just see that. Nope. Nope. I'm in deep sweet denial. This has to be a dream. That, No. She did not just use a diagnostic medical jutsu. Nope. I'm going to pretend that didn't happen. Nope. This is a dream. Yes! A dream is all. I've been reading way too many fanfics.'_

After a few moments the nurse stepped back as a male medic entered the room. I stared at the person before me. He had long black hair, dark brown eyes, nicely tan skin, he was nice looking and tall, well, everyone looked big to me.

"I see our little patient is finally up. Status?" The nurse lady looked hesitant to say.

"Excuse us for a second Hachiko-chan." The nurse lady said and dragged the doctor out of the room.

_'__Okay. This can't be good. Then again this dream is wonky. On the bright note, No Tsunade, which means I'm not dreaming specifically about Naruto-canon. Hmm. But that doctor looked familiar.'_

My thoughts were interrupted when the doctor came back in and the nurse was looking at me worriedly.

"Hachiko-chan, I'm Head Medic Duelo, I'm going to run a basic diagnostics test okay. Can you please hold still?" I simply stared at the man and he smiled. As he ran his jutsu and checked me, I was trying to mull over why he looked familiar. I looked at him and his eyes were in concentration then there was a minor moment when he looked very serious.

"Get me her parents, I want them here before doing anything else." Medic Duelo barked and the nurse bustled out and then he turned to me.

"Hachiko-chan, do you remember anything as to why you're here?" I tilted my head to the side. I myself wondered where this dream was going.

"You've been in a coma for five years since the Kyuubi Attack. Do you remember anything?" I furrowed my eyebrows and I assume it made it seem like I was thinking hard but in reality I was questioning my imagination.

_'__Seriously this is the best my imagination could come up with? Sheesh. I've read better fanfics that this. Freeze that thought. Five years? I look like a freaking five year old… Oh. Then that means. This body, was severely affected by the Kyuubi's strong chakra, so affected it went into a coma and bam background on this OC complete. Damn, my imagination isn't so bad.'_

"Hachiko-chan?" I looked at Medic Duelo and he sighed.

"Mah, must have imagined that you had cognitive capabilities. After all you were just a one year old when it happened. You can't have had any more than a couple of words like Mom or Dad down at that age." The nurse arrived and medic Duelo turned his attention away from me. My eye was twitching at his words.

_'__You think I'm incompetent! Why I should defy your logic and show some intelligence this world has never seen… Well at least until I wake up, I'll be the fastest recovering coma patient ever!'_

I was snapped out of my internal rant when at the doorway two people appeared. They were both out of breath as if they had been running all the way to the room. One was a very familiar face. She had long wavy dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She looked so happy and relieved, her eyes were tearing up and her hands were busy brushing the tears away. The second person, he was taller than the first, almost as tall as Medic Duelo. He had long golden brown hair tucked loosely behind a white bandana. His eyes were dark brown and his face was just as emotional as his companion. I knew these two off the bat because they were the exact spitting image of my parents (plus or minus a few details). The parents from my world, well my real parents both had dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. Mim had her hair short and Dad had his hair short.

_'__Imagination, once more you've done it again, taking what I know and turning it into familiar and yet subtle differences to make more OC's. What's next? I'm an only child? We're in Konoha? Oooh dream Mim is a ninja and dream Dad is the stay at home husband?'_

"Hachiko." There was that name again, this time coming out of dream Mim. Dream Mim and Dad came towards me and hugged me and kissed my head. I could see that Medic Duelo tried not to interrupt but he needed to talk to them so he got there eventually.

"Mimori-san, Jun-san, we need to talk about Hachiko's miraculous recovery as well as of her recovery program. Please lets sit down." My dream parents nodded and sat at my bedside while Medic Duelo pulled a chair close as they started talking I decided to pay attention and critique my imagination's naming for my parents later. Medic Duelo looked very serious and a bit perplexed as he started talking.

"Most of the coma induced children from the Attack, never made it this far. As you know, most of them simply died after a few years. Their bodies couldn't handle the strain, psychologically they were blank and their bodies just quit. In Hachiko's case, she only made it this far because of her naturally large chakra reserves. As we've told you before her chakra maintained and regulated her vital organs and some of her growth, however before we didn't know the extent of the damage of her chakra's constant focus on keeping her vitals running. Her vocal cords look fine but they don't seem to be functioning. It could be because of the lack of use after all this time and her body has accepted it as a useless organ." Hearing Medic Duelo, hurt me right in the feels, it felt like my heart fell to my butt.

_'__This is starting to sound like a bloody nightmare. No talking = No singing! Damn Imagination, you're one harsh mofo.'_

"So she won't be able to talk, ever?" Dream Mim asked and Medic Duelo shrugged.

"There's a small possibility but I wouldn't put my hopes up. Apart from that, I'm going to create a program to get her to her proper health. She's underweight for a five year old and getting her strong is the first part of the plan. The second part is to have her caught up and rehabilitated. Learn to understand us, become more involved despite her disability. As a one year old, how much did she accomplish?" Both my dream parents confirmed Medic Duelo's speculations.

"Our names; basic greets, hello, goodbye, goodnight; yes and no. She was really smart." Medic Duelo looked at me and nodded.

"Hopefully, she shows no cognitive abnormalities. Diagnostics showed no damage to the brain but one can never be too sure. I'll get the paperwork started. Excuse me." After Medic Duelo left to get my health program set up. My dream parents hugged me and cried.

"Hachiko-chan, Mama is going to make you lots of sweets. You remember the honey drops you loved so much? I'm going to make you lots of them." Dream Mim said and petted my long hair.

"Papa will even take you for walks, you remember you loved going out during sunset?" As they day went by, I began questioning when I would wake up. Not that I minded basking in my dream parents praises and being the center of attention but this was dragging on and I was pretty sure I was going to wake up late in the afternoon at the rate this dream was going on.

Eventually, I got hungry and a nurse brought me food more like baby food. After trying to eat, and epically failing since my stomach in this body was getting use to food, I got tried and drifted to sleep.

-Next Day-

'_The sun is shining, the birds are chirping… Hmm. Where are my chirping birds?'_

I opened my eyes to find that it was still dark outside. I turned my head and spotted… Dream Mim. I felt my breathing get erratic.

_'__No. No. No. No. No. No. No.'_

I could feel my tears building up. I began shaking and let go of Dream Mim's hand, she stirred and reacted quickly by trying to calm me down.

"Hachi, it's okay. Relax. Mommy is here." I began shaking my head and tried slapping myself only for her to restrain me and she began calling for help.

_'__This can't be! I can't be here! This is just a dream right? No. No please no. If there was any anime-verse I'd be in, it wouldn't be this one! Too much happens in this one! No. Not ninjas please no. I know too much! Come on Imagination, this has gone long enough.'_

I didn't realize when I started fighting against my dream mother's hold but I did feel when something sharp nipped me in the tush and everything started to blur.

_'__Damn you imagination.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I decided to double post, since it's fairly new I want you readers to get a feel for the story, so um, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my adorable OC. **

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><p><strong>Two: Reality, Not Imaginary<strong>

The next time I woke up, I was restrained. That seemed justified after my mass freak out. After that fiasco, I was hand fed by medic staff and watched like a hawk as if I was some nutjob. Every now and then, the staff on duty would make stupid comments. I assumed they thought I had the mentality of a one year old so they had no idea I clearly understood their words:

"A retarded child, an unstable wild child, a stupid girl, a big baby child…"

_'__Very original medic staff.'_

The only nurse that was nice to me, was the medic that had found me after I, Hachiko, whatever, had woken up from the coma, Nurse Nanase. She knew I was smarter than I led on. That I understood. She had made efforts once to notify Medic Duelo, but he waved it off saying she was imagining it, because of that I made sure to be extra troublesome for the staff.

My dream parents were with me every day and they tried to coerce me to cooperate with other nurses but it was to no avail. So they personally hired Nurse Nanase to be my fulltime nurse since she was the only nurse I cooperated with. I learned that my parents were well off in terms of money. They owned and ran a sweets shop. Every day they brought me sweets and I learned the wonders of the Hachimitsu Clan's Honey Drops, I know ironic name right? Stupid Imagination.

After weeks, I still couldn't accept _this_ to be reality. It just couldn't. However the longer I spent here, the more I began to accept it but with acceptance came the How's and Why's. How I got here? I don't know and no matter how much I did want to know, I just banned myself from trying to think about it. It would just drive me mad and I knew that it would consume me should I even try to understand so I let it be. I wasn't going to question it… At least for now, though I did have some pretty crazy theory formulating in the back of my mind, I decided to put it on the back burner. For now, I would focus on this fucked up reality and try to make to make the best of it at least until I was a bit older and stronger.

I had come to terms with accepting the 'new' me. I am Hachiko and Hachiko is me. It took a while to feel associated with Hachiko's body, I mean me. At first, when I initially woke up it was easy to blend and mesh _Myself_ with Hachiko but the more I became aware that_**I**_ wasn't Hachiko**_, _**the more dissociative I became**, **so that too went to the back burner of my mind. In terms of time, it took me a good five months to accept my reality and myself.

Those five months weren't wasted just focusing on trying to accept reality and my new self. I was also being taught to communicate and be expressive by Nurse Nanase and Medic Duelo. Boy did I shock them when I displayed a quick ability to learn.

It was during my 3rd month that my parents and I were taught the standard Konoha hand signs that ninja used to communicate. The Konoha Shinobi Signing Language (KSSL) was basically a series of tapping patterns with the fingers and various hand shapes and motions.

By the 5th month I had gotten the tapping's to some sort of fluency but my communication in the motion and hand shape form was still a bit choppy. It was during this time that I was being taught to read and recognize simple characters. To them I was a genius, however I think I overdid it when I started to read almost immediately after they began teaching me some Katakana and Hiragana. Japanese might of not been my first language but I was somewhat familiar with it so I didn't think much when I began to read on my own only asking for help when I struggled on handakuten and proper understanding of the soukon and what it did to change the meaning of some words (grammar is not my forte no matter what language it's in, no lie).

Fun fact: My parents were apparently civilians despite being a part of a clan, turns out their clan is a civilian clan. Meaning that I garnered attention. Prodigies from a Civilian Clan were rare and my oh so brilliant stupidity left me exposed. Luckily Medic Duelo and Nurse Nanase were the only medic staff to oversee my health, they made sure to keep my high intelligence a secret, simply because they wanted all efforts on getting me better.

By the time I had turned six and was healthy enough to start physical therapy, my hand signs were decent and my tapping was slightly better. I was discharged from the hospital and put on a wheel chair at first to get around at least until my full strength returned to my legs.

My first time in Konoha was both amazing and scary. Firstly scary because there was no way I could deny this reality as a construct of my imagination. There was so much detail, so many people emitting warmth. That's when I first noticed chakra. That warmth people were emitting.

'What is? Different warmth every people emit?' I tapped and signed to my parents as they walked pushing me in my wheelchair to our home. I noticed some shinobi were eyeing me since I was signing and I was just a child.

"Do you feel it stronger when you see the people wearing the Konoha headbands?" Dad asked and I looked at a couple of the ninja and nodded.

"That's chakra then. I think we'll see Medic Duelo and ask him about it. You noticed it in the medics at the hospital?" Mim asked and I nodded.

'They sort of uniform feel, same but here every person different size.' I signed back and Dad nodded.

"We'll notify Medic Duelo. For us civilians that isn't a normal thing to be able to do." Dad said thinking to himself. Our walk from the hospital to our home was long and it was along the main street. When we arrived, I took in the building. It was white with a yellow roof and a sign that read: Hachimitsu Treats. It was three stories tall.

My parents led me in the shop and inside was large enough for a decent crowd to look around. Along the walls there were various glass counters and wooden and glass wall cabinets with different types of candies of different colors. At the register, there was a display case of dango, cakes and pastries. Behind the register was a teenager who smiled upon seeing my parents. He had messy black hair and brown eyes.

"Boss. Welcome. You've brought your daughter home. Welcome Home Little Miss." I smiled at the cute teen and nodded.

'Tell him I say Thank You.' I signed to my parents and my mother relayed the message.

"Come Hachiko, lets get you to the house back." Mim rolled my chair past the shop counter to a back door behind the counter, once through the door way there was a stone courtyard with a large tree in the middle. Two large yellow walls were erect separating the neighbor shops and behind the tree was three-story building. We went into the house and Mim rolled my chair up a ramp that was installed in the shoe room. The ramp led to a hall with a wooden stairs, opposite the stairs a door that I assumed let to a mystery room, then right across the ramp was an archway that led into a large spacy living room that connected to a decent sized kitchen. It was the stairs that were next to the entrance that I was staring at.

'How am I going up stairs?' I signed.

"You'll be staying in that room for now." Mim pointed to the door I assumed was a mystery room. Mim rolled me into the room and I noticed the walls were painted a light yellow. There was a comfy bed, a dresser, a small bookcase, four stacked floor cushions and a coffee table and another door that Mim said led to my own bathroom. Hanging overhead was an orange lantern in the middle of the room. It was a really lovely room. As she rolled me into the room, she shut the door and I noticed a mirror on the back of the door.

"Dad and I put this together." I blocked her out and focused on the mirror. In all this time, I had never seen my face. At the hospital, we had no mirrors. I had avoided seeing my reflection as much as possible at least until I had accepted new myself but even after I had, I had completely forgotten about it. I was aware I had long golden brown hair, but now, I stared at the girl in the mirror.

Her hair was in perfect waves, it pooled at her waist, since she was sitting down. Her big golden colored eyes were getting glossy from tears that were building up. Her lips were a light peach, her skin was fair from the lack of sun for the past 6 years and her body, looked so fragile.

"Hachiko?" I could hear Mim's voice. I held my hand out and she rolled me to the mirror. I touched the mirror and the tears just wouldn't stop.

'Is really me?' I signed and Mim nodded.

"You're beautiful and you'll only get more beautiful, radiant like the sun and golden like honey." The girl in the mirror smiled so beautifully to Mim's words. Mim hugged me and petted my hair. After that, there was never a moment I wouldn't sneak off a peek at myself in the mirror. It was hard to believe this was Hachiko, me. Before I had sunkissed skin, I was tall, full figured, my hair was dark brown, my eyes were dark, I was a complete different person, I wasn't radiantly beautiful like Hachiko_,_ I was dull compared to Hachiko.

My parents always caught me staring at myself and would simply watch me marvel at my looks. They, I think, assumed I was still getting accustomed to my looks. After a few months I was steadily making progress. It had been a full year since I had 'woken up' and I noticed that I had gotten fuller, I had built muscle and managed taking a few steps. Medic Duelo had revealed to my parents that I was chakra sensitive due to being exposed to the Kyuubi's malicious chakra. He said it was nothing out of the ordinary since most civilian children, who were exposed to the Kyuubi's chakra that didn't go into a coma, developed chakra sensor like abilities.

Another year went by and I was communicating more effectively with my hand signs and tapping. My walking was still a work in progress. I was able to walk around the house and shop but it would wear me out doing it on my own so I was heavily relying on a walker, like the kind old people use. I thought it was cool since mine came with a chair so I could rest after getting tired. I spent most of my time between therapy with Nurse Nanase, the family shop and the courtyard behind the shop.

The teen that worked for my parents at the register, Soujiro, easily became something like a big brother. I had met other workers, the pastry chefs and the other workers in the candy making process. They were really nice to me and looked out for me whenever my parents were busy in the shop baking and inventing a new treat.

Many of the shop customers were civilians and rarely there were ninja around but of course that all changed when Hatake Kakashi one day dropped by. I was in the shop sitting on my walker's chair reading a book about chakra. I had been given one by Medic Duelo in an attempt for me to become familiar with the topic. So I had my head deep in the book. I didn't even know I was alone in the shop since Soujiro had gone upstairs to get some more Honey Drops, the popular specialty item of the shop.

"Interesting book you have there. That's an academy standard text. You look a bit young to be having that text." At first I didn't register whom the voice had belonged to, but I registered the static like chakra and that it was large, so I knew that for a fact this person was not a civilian. I looked up and was a bit in awe. I snapped out of my stupor and perked up getting an amused look from the silver haired masked man before me.

'Hi.' I nodded and signed. He looked at me curiously with his one eye.

'Hi.' He sighed back. I smiled brightly and greeted him.

'My name is Hachimitsu Hachiko. ' He, I think he smiled, couldn't tell because of the mask on his face but he signed back.

'Hatake Kakashi. You are young to be signing. Where did you learn?' He asked. I carefully thought about the right signs to use. Explanations were hard to sign since they were, in my mind, equivalent to a verbal rant and quite frankly, before landing here, I didn't like rants that much.

'Hospital. I cannot talk. Mute.' I signed and touched my neck. Sometimes signing short and simple was the most effective way. His face seemed to harden a bit and he nodded.

"And that book?" He asked this time out loud.

'Doctor said I am chakra sensitive.' I signed and he looked thoughtful and nodded. Then he took my book and flipped the pages and then handed it back to me.

'That should help.' He signed and then Mim arrived.

"Ah, may I help you?" Hatake Kakashi purchased some Honey Drops after they were restocked and signed me good-bye. Inside I was giddy, I had met the Hatake Kakashi and he seemed very real to me, even nice.

_'__Maybe this reality won't be that bad.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The rating had to go up. **

**Hachiko didn't mean it but I forgot that she acts like an adult and thinks like one too, so yeah there's a couple swear words set amuck from here on. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my adorable OC. **

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><p><strong>Three: The Brave Little Bee and the Shy Sakura Bud<strong>

There were many things in my old life I never experienced and this time around I did as Hachiko. When I turned seven, I was able to walk around on my own. Running was a bit too much but I was cleared to go to regular civilian school to learn to improve on my already decent reading, not so great writing and half assed arithmetic. I deemed it would be boring. My parents walked me to school and although I knew the drill of being a new kid, I felt very nervous. I blamed this childish body.

The red/white school building was a couple of blocks from the shop. So I assured my parents I could walk back on my own afterschool. Dad was a bit nervous about me going to school especially with my disability but I assured him I could handle it. I didn't get why Dad was so nervous. For school I wore my yellow orange dress with white sash. My hair was braided neatly. So I was generally adorable. I figured this would make it easy to make friends. My parents left me in the care of Momo-sensei, a petite woman who had a round face and wore black-rimmed glasses.

In the class I was assigned to there were 10 girls and 9 boys. Most civilian children who applied to become a student at the Ninja Academy, attended this school until they were 8, or so I heard. When I entered the classroom I stood behind the teacher and I noticed most of the girls sat around a pink haired girl. The pink haired girl looked pouty and down. The girls around her seemed aloof towards the girl's behavior.

"Class, we have a new student today, Hachimitsu Hachiko. Class please treat her kindly and help her out when you can. Hachiko-chan you can sit there next to Yuta-kun, Yuta-kun raise your hand please." A boy with messy dark hair, tan skin and brown eyes lifted his hand up. I nodded and headed to my seat next to the boy, Yuta-kun, when I realized that Momo-sensei hadn't told the class I was mute.

"Hi, I'm Minamoto Yuta." The boy said. I looked to him and nodded nicely. He seemed thoughtful.

"You must be shy. Don't worry I'll show you around." I smiled a bit and noticed the way the girls in class leered at me. I knew that leer, over possessive stare and sneer… Fangirls. I mentally sighed, having once been one, I knew all the symptoms. Being a fangirl, at least to me was like a tumor. it was either benign or malignant to one's personality. It varied from individual to individual, and these girls, they were in the malignant category, that much was for sure based off thier pinched noses and pointed obvious glares.

Class was boring as I predicted. When we were released for a short recess. Yuta-kun wasted no time in taking my hand and dragging me to the swing set at the back of the playground. I sat down at the swing and he sat on the one next to me. It was an awkward silence.

"You don't talk much to you?" He asked. I relented and nodded.

'I'm mute' I signed and he looked confused. I then touched my throat and made a silent 'ah'. His eyes went wide and he jumped off the swing.

"You can't talk? What happened?" My eye twitched, was this kid for real? I crossed my arms and let out a silent sigh.

"Right. No talking. I know we could make up a signing language!" He beamed. I sighed again. I heard a stifle cry and turned my head and spotted the pink haired girl, Pinkie as I decided to call her for I knew not her name. She was ducked and horribly failed to cover her head with her hands. The girls from class were kicking her and poking her forehead while some girls tugged her hair. I jumped from the swing and Yuta-kun looked surprised as I strutted angrily over to the mess of girls. I pushed my way through and earned some cries, more like complaints.

"HEY!"

"WATCH IT!"

I reached down and pulled Pinkie's hand to drag her out of the circle of girls and over to where Yuta-kun was standing by the swings. A tug from my braid had me falling backwards. Pinkie saved herself by pulling her hand away. I looked alarmed as I fell on my butt. I glared at the hoard of girls.

"You should mind your business New Girl." I glared at the group of girls and got up. I turned to the Pinkie who was crying at this point. I really wished I could talk back. I stood up and grabbed Pinkie's hand again to lead her away only for the group of girls to surround us.

"Did you not hear what I said? Are you deaf or something?" I never in my life had been bullied so I didn't know what to do. I did know that I would not abandon Pinkie. So I held her hand tightly and she looked at me worriedly. I gave her a firm nod assuring her I would not leave her.

"BREAK IS OVER. GET INSIDE!" Momo-sensei called and the girls looked furiously at me and walked past me bumping my shoulder with such force that I fell on my butt again. This time however, Pinkie didn't let go of my hand.

"This isn't over New Girl." The girl that pushed me said as she walked away. I clenched my fists in frustration. Why was I so weak? In my frustration I let go of Pinkie's hand and I slammed my hands on the ground and looked up at Pinkie who looked at me worriedly. She had stopped crying and she held her hand out for me and I took it so I could stand up. I gave her a small smile.

"T-Thank you." Pinkie said quietly and I nodded as my anger simmered down. We got back to class for another rudimentary lesson, writing 30 new characters that we had to copy to perfection 30 times and turn in tomorrow, yippee (note the heavy sarcasm). The lesson was boring but what was going on while Momo-sensei was reading her over cheesy romance novel as we copied the characters in our best handwriting was enough for me to scream, if I had the vocals for it!

I had to endure and watch Pinkie sit in the sea of bitches. Two of them bitches (no point calling them girls due to their behavior) who sat next to Pinkie were purposely bumping elbows with the poor girl to mess up her handwriting. I clenched my fists and wanted to get up make noise, do something so Momo-sensei could pay attention to the ongoing bullying in her class. I was about to slam my hands on my desk when Yuta-kun's hands held my hands down on the desk. I looked at him with my 'What-the-hell' face.

"You shouldn't have helped her. Haruno is trouble. They make anyone's life miserable if you're nice to their target." I looked at Yuta-kun incredulously. I moved my hands from underneath his and took out a spare paper and wrote down angrily my reply.

_You have got be kidding me. If you don't want to help that's your problem. I'm no coward. I won't sit by and let her get bullied._

I pushed the note over to him and he read it but his brow furrowed in the process.

"Fine." He gritted and began to ignore me. I mulled over what he had said about Pinkie then it hit me.

_'__No! This is… Haruno Sakura? Pink Banshee?! Uchiha Duckbutt's biggest fangirl and future teammate? Badass Sakura, pupil of Tsunade?'_

Pinkie looked on the verge of tears as she pulled out another new sheet to re-copy the characters on the board. There had to be something I could do. It finally hit me.

_'__I can make her time easier, I can share my neatly written characters with her and that way she won't get in trouble and maybe… Maybe I could befriend her!'_

After the lesson, we were released for lunch, I waited while the class, the sea of bitches included flooded out to get the best seats outside, as they said. I grabbed my lunch and approached Pinkie, she had yet to leave the class and looked hesitant to leave. She looked at me with an unsure look. Her green eyes looked quickly around the room.

'Want to eat?' I signed and she looked at me confused. I sighed and held out my hands, using the universal sign to wait. I ran back to my seat, grabbed my notebook and pencil. I returned and wrote in the notebook.

_Want to eat together?_

I showed her and she looked even more confused. I wrote again underneath.

_I'm mute. I'm Hachimitsu Hachiko by the way, nice to meet you._

She had this 'Oh' face and then she spoke. I was surprised she had a small voice.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. Sorry that you can't talk. Why me?" She asked. I gave her my answer.

_Why not? You look like you need a friend and I need a friend. Want to be friends?_

"I-I don't know. Anzai will be mean to you if we're friends." She let her bangs cover her face and made this pouty face as she thought about it.

_She doesn't like me already. Besides she was bound to pick on me at some point since I can't talk._

"Oh… Umm. Okay." Finally, I thought. We sat together and ate silently in the classroom. It was nice until the Sea of Bitches arrived.

"Just who I was looking for and look extras." I turned to the main antagonist. Brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin… She vaguely reminded me of myself as a child only this girl had a mean streak, I at that age was nothing but fickle, a moderate fangirl and into different things at the same time. Not this angry child before me.

"Oh Forehead how you've stooped low, some one on the playground mentioned this one is mute. You wouldn't be the retard from the hospital now would you?" I glared at this wench.

"My aunt said there was a girl around my age, you fit her description. She said the girl attacked her mother and had to be restrained. How they let you into school-" She didn't finish her sentence as I had lunged at her. I knew I wasn't the heaviest kid around nor the strongest but I managed to knock her down and she hit her head on the wooden floor and in her surprise I grabbed her hair and banged her head on the floor. The other girls screamed and ran out calling for help.

"No! Hachiko!" I was pulled off by Momo-sensei and another teacher arrived to tend to the mess on the floor. I was still angry and running on adrenaline.

"What happened? Well?" Momo-sensei demanded. She set me down and looked sternly at me then at the girls in the room. The little fudge packer, Anzai, whatever her name is dared to cry and point at me.

"She attacked me! I-I was just going to get something from my bag and she attacked me!" I signed angrily but that didn't get me anywhere, as the two teachers were at a loss.

"Hachiko is this true?" I clenched my fists in frustration. My eyes swelled with tears but I refused to cry dammit. Instead I frowned and turned around picked up my notebook and wrote in it furiously. I ripped the page out and handed it to Momo-sensei. I packed my lunch up and went to my seat to pick up my things.

_I'm going home. I've had enough of this place. Oh and you are terrible teacher. I've learned more at home and on my own than from you. Plus that girl I "attacked", Anzai, what ever her name is, she aggravated __me__ and picked on Haruno countless times during class. Your perception sucks and I have nothing to learn from you. Good bye._

"I will not have you disrespecting me!" I seemed to piss off Momo-sensei. I tried to walk out of the classroom only for Momo-sensei to yank me back rather hard and I fell backwards and my head hit the edge of the door. I got dizzy and my vision blurred.

_..._

Ugh. Where am I? White ceiling, it must be the hospital.

"Awake I see? You gave your parents such a scare. Not to mention you managed to get expelled from school and get that teacher of yours fired. How are you feeling?" It was Medic Duelo.

'Head hurts. How long I been here?' I asked and then the door to the room flew open.

"Hachiko!" Mim was showering me in kisses and behind her was Dad and I noticed Pinkie.

'Mom. Dad stop her please.' I signed and I heard Dad and Medic Duelo chuckle.

"Sakura-chan has visited you for the past two days." I nodded then sat up quickly after processing what Medic Duelo had said.

_'__2 days!' _

I touched my head and felt bandages and it was tender at the back.

"Her cranium should be healed up in a month. She might have some slight headaches but other than that. She'll be fine." Medic Duelo told Dad and Mim who were talking with him a ways. Pinkie approached me and waved.

"Umm, sorry about what happened to you. M-My parent's w-wanted to come and thank you personally for sticking up for me but D-Dad had a mission and M-Mom had to work." I smiled and signed only to remember she didn't understand.

"Ah, I'm learning to Tap and Sign! My Dad is teaching me some. Um wait." She attempted and it was a bit choppy, her tapping that is.

'Hello, Sa-Ku-Ra. You?'

'Ha-chi-ko. Nice to meet you.' I signed and she beamed, it seemed she understood.

"Hachiko, You're going home today. Let's get you ready. Sakura-chan you are welcome to join us. You're mother said she'd drop by at our place for you." Sakura nodded and I beamed at gaining a friend even if I had to go through hell to get one. Yes, Civilian School was equivalent to "The first level of Hell" if you had to deal with the Sea of Bitches.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: OH MY KISHI! So many views, follows and favorites. Thank you very much for that my lovely/handsome readers. As for my one lovely reviewer, you know who you are, Thank you very much for your words of encouragement. So enough lagging on my part and on with the chapter and the bundle of characters that will appear!**

**Disclaimer(from here on out so that it's never ever mentioned again): I own nothing but my adorable OC, and now that I think about it her parents the entire Hachimitsu Clan and shop staff… Other than that, that is all!**

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><p><strong>Four: Decisions and Encounters that Tug at the Heart<strong>

After the whole school incident, my parents just became overbearingly strict for a while. Every now and then I'd get the 'control your emotions' lecture and the 'proper decorum' lecture. The one I hated though was the 'you should apologize' lecture. I admit that I was a bit rude to Momo-sensei. I was a little embarrassed. I shouldn't have let my temper over run my actions but personally I blamed it all on my child-like emotional range. Even if I am an adult on a mental level, I'm a child on the emotional and physical level. This was all a learning progress for me and I had to learn to better handle myself in emotional situations. What I didn't fully regret was the beating I gave to Anzai-tengu, she deserved it, the end. No matter how much my parents tried to get me to apologize for retaliating so barbarically, I didn't. I was in the right and no candy bribe would get me to change it. Consequently, all my candy privileges were taken for two weeks. It was dark times.

Mim relented when I informed her, through written form, my reasons for not apologizing to Anzai-tengu. I even added, for brownie points, that I needed to learn how to handle situations and interactions in which others that didn't know how to tap and sign. She took my bait, agreed and thankfully she backed off a bit. She promised to speak with Dad. Dad agreed full heartedly and decided to support my 'need to learn to handle situations on my own' idea. He got me a special trinket. It was a silver bracelet with 2 charms that served a purpose. The bell charm, Dad explained would jingle whenever I signed and it would serve to get another's attention when I wanted to communicate. The second charm was kanji for: Mute. That way if someone tried to talk with me or didn't understand why I didn't talk, I would simply show them the charm. I liked the gift and wore it on my left wrist, as it would constantly jingle on my right wrist whenever I would practice writing.

Pinkie, Sakura that is but I still refer to her as Pinkie, would often visit as Mim and her Mom coordinated lessons for us since we weren't in school anymore but still needed to take lessons to further our education and give us more occupational options in the future. Not that I was thinking that far ahead since deep down I really really hoped that this was all a dream and I would wake up before I became an adult again.

One day during lessons while Pinkie and I were copying characters and the adults left us alone, Pinkie really surprised me as she openly admitted that she wanted to become a Ninja.

'Why?' I signed slowly as Pinkie was still getting use to KSSL. Her tapping and signs were okay but if I got too excited and went fast, she'd struggle a bit.

"Well, I want to be strong enough to defend myself and next time… Next time I'll be able to protect you and everyone else."

_'__Ah~ Right in the feels.' _

Pinkie really nailed that answer. I gave her thumbs up showing her my support in her reasoning. I was about to resume writing my characters when she popped the million-ryo question.

"What about you? Don't you want to be a Ninja and get strong? Ah, I mean, well even though you're smaller, you're already so strong and brave. Um, well I think you would be a good leader." She ranted shyly.

_'__We've just met a few weeks back and she has that much faith in me?' _

That hit me like a ton of bricks but I kept my facial expression controlled, at least I hope I did. I gave her a small smile. I signaled that we should get back to work on our characters and she blushed and ducked her head to her work. She was so adorable, her long messy fringe and rosy cheeks… I began to question why she'd get picked on. I mean her forehead was large but no so exaggeratedly large. It was just the way her hair was styled.

_'__I should suggest her wearing a ribbon… Nah. That's for Ino to handle. That's how their friendship starts before the become rivals. I'm not messing with that… Stop thinking about the timeline.'_

As I worked I furrowed my brow. Then that damn question began to stir so much I had repressed and pushed to the back of my mind.

At this point I was just going with the flow. I had no plan. Now I was faced with a serious dilemma but I completely shut it down. Civilian is the way to go. No one bothers with a civilian. A civilian has less power to change things especially in a Hidden Village. If there's one thing I knew for sure it was that if you gave me power, add in the fact that I possess valuable knowledge that I just shouldn't, the end result would be disastrous. I'd probably get cocky, try to change everything in canon only to fuck it all up and die in the process. I knew what was at stake here, I read time-travel fics and whenever someone messed with events, shit would hit the fan and major events would take a complete 720 degree spin making all knowledge of the future useless. So no, I was not going to openly change the timeline that was set. Who was I to mess with it? A no one that's what and I decided at that moment to leave it at that.

I looked over to Pinkie who was super concentrated in her work. I sort of felt bad for knowing what lay ahead of her.

_'__Now is not the time to be sympathetic. I can't and won't make exceptions. I won't change the timeline's course.'_

After the lessons were over. Dad and I walked Sakura home. As we walked through the streets I felt something extremely warm, it felt kind of like the sun and I looked to where it came from there was a small group of children playing. I felt the sun like energy coming from around the group but it wasn't in the group. My eyes trailed over the rambunctious group that was playing ninja when a mop of messy yellow hair in the alley got my attention. I stopped walking and through the mass of children, I spotted the saddest pair of blue eyes I had ever laid eyes on.

_'__What is today? Guilt Trip Day?'_

"Hachiko? You alright?" Dad asked a little ways ahead. I turned and looked at him he seemed to notice to where I was gazing and I noticed his usually soft gaze hardened and there was this rage behind Dad's eyes.

'Just watching the group of children play ninja.' I quickly lied to diffuse Dad's anger that was clearly aimed at little Naruto. Dad's face slowly changed and he nodded.

"I see. Come, let's get Sakura-chan home." I nodded and quickly moved to walk beside Dad and Pinkie. Dad's hand draped over my shoulder and I saw that glare he sent behind his shoulder. I knew it was directed at Naruto and I felt like as if I made things worse for Naruto just because I had stared at him. After we got Pinkie to her home, Dad and I headed back to the shop. On the way back I kept a look out for Naruto. Not so that I could peek at him but so that I could distract Dad enough so that he wouldn't notice the boy and glare at him openly. I was relived when we got to the shop without crossing Naruto on our way home.

"Boss, Hachiko-chan! Welcome back." Soujiro greeted us as he tended to a customer. I waved and headed to my spot by the shop window where my chair and reading book was waiting for me.

"I'm going to go make us some Dango for dessert after dinner. Promise you'll stay put here with Soujiro?" Dad asked and I nodded and I opened my book. After I heard Dad leave, I didn't really read. I instead stared at the pages of the book and lost myself in thought.

_'__Dad hates Naruto. Is it because of the whole Kyuubi chakra thing? Maybe I could help Naruto-chan. I could be his friend. Technically, I'm not changing the timeline because I wouldn't be his best friend… That place is reserved for Uchiha Sasuke. I could however make his childhood bearable! I should ask to go to the park with Sakura tomorrow, take some Honey Drops and to share with him!'_

I smiled at my plan and looked up only to blush. Hatake Kakashi was looking at me with an amused eye.

'Reading something good? Or planning something good?' He signed. I smiled and tried to curb my blush.

'Something like that. Here to buy?' I asked and he nodded.

"Hatake-san. Back again." I turned to find Mim behind the counter helping Soujiro. Afternoons were always like this, busy with clients.

"Hai. I came to get some of your Mint tablets. They do wonders for my ninken summons and they've also gotten fond of your Honey Drops." While Mim tended to Hatake Kakashi, I got lost in my thoughts again.

_'__He's going to have long heavy road ahead of him too. Gah! Stop sympathizing!' _

I quickly shook my head and slapped my cheeks.

"Hachiko? You okay?" I was getting tired of that question today. I looked at Mim and Hatake Kakashi and blushed.

_'__I'm clearly making a fool out of myself!'_

'Yeah. I can't focus on my book.' I signed and Mim laughed. Hatake Kakashi crinkled his eye and signed 'Goodbye'. I looked at Mim who was smiling like a maniac at me.

'You have a crush on Hatake Kakashi ne?' Mim signed. I froze in my seat and felt like slamming my head on something.

'I won't tell. Promise' Mim signed and I blushed again for the 3rd time that day.

-Next Day-

_'__Plan in motion!' _

The Parents, well Sakura's parents, since I was spending time at her house this time, let us go to the park, alone! Yosh! I had my sweets in a pouch on my white obi. Pinkie's Dad dropped us off at the park and promised to return in an hour.

"What do you want to play?" Pinkie asked, I pointed at the empty swings. She nodded and we headed to the swing set. This was part of my plan too. Swings give height which five a better view of those in the park, plus no one would know I was looking for someone, that someone being Naruto.

I was able to swing by myself but Pinkie had some trouble, so I had to show her how to move her legs for momentum. She got it after a while and she looked genuinely happy to be able to swing high. I smiled at her and kept my eyes out scoping the park. I was about to give up when a mop of blonde got my attention. He was hiding behind some bushes!

_'__Damn I need to get off the swing ASAP!' _

I let the momentum of the swing lessen and then I readied myself to jump. As I jumped I heard Pinkie call out my name. I expertly landed on my two feet and I grinned happily. I turned to Pinkie who smiled after getting over her shock. She then too attempted to jump only for her to miscalculate and land on her knee. Her eyes were welling up with tears. I sighed and looked up at the sky.

_'__Why am I such a good friend?'_

I quickly helped her up and led her to the closest bench near the bush where Naruto was hiding and I hoped he was still there. I looked at Sakura's knee. It was red but it was just a scrape. No blood. Being the ever-good friend, I took out my handkerchief and quickly signed.

'Wait here. Need water.' She nodded and wiped a stray tear. I reached a small water fountain and wet my handkerchief and wrung out the extra water. I turned only to bump into a boy, several years older than I. He had raven hair, black hair tied back in a low ponytail and grey pants.

"Sorry." He apologized as I signed my apology only to receive a strange gaze. I didn't stay long but I did appreciate that he was nice to apologize, but he seemed familiar. I found Pinkie who was trying to hold in her tears. I reached her and cleaned her knee.

"Thanks Hachi." I nodded and finished getting most of the dirt off her knee. She didn't hiss meaning it didn't sting so it wasn't that serious.

'Want to rest here or rest in the grass?' I asked and Pinkie seemed to struggle to understand. Sometimes I forgot her signing wasn't at my level.

"She asked if you'd like to rest in the grass." We both looked at the newcomer. It was that boy from earlier.

"Um, You know how to sign?" Pinkie asked the boy curiously.

"Yes. It's the standard Konoha Shinobi Sign Language." I perked up and nodded. Pinkie looked at me and then at the guy and she blushed.

_'__So little Pinkie Haruno she also think's he's cute... Wait a minute. No freaking way.'_

"I am Uchiha Itachi. I don't suppose you've met my little brother around the park, have you? I am supposed to take him back home." He asked and elaborated. Several different feelings surfaced all at once. Admiration, sadness and some anger, not aimed at Uchiha Itachi but at those that forced him to take up a role that just wasn't him.

_'__Oh dear Kami! Why! Must avoid showing the feels.'_

"Um. No." Sakura replied and I shook my head. He looked rather contemplative.

'_I don't feel a bit guilty that I know his fate. I don't feel guilty. I don't. I-_'

"Are you alright?" I snapped out of my mantra and felt my face flush red at the proximity of Uchiha Itachi's face to mine.

"Hachi, you were frowning? You sure you're not hurt from that jump are you?" Pinkie asked. This was a time when I felt like talking, at least to say: Shut up Pinkie!

"Jump?" Sakura only further went on to explain my jump from the swings at 'high' altitude for a small child.

_'__Kami save me from further embarrassment.'_

"Nii-san!" I looked up to the sky while Uchiha Itachi and Pinkie looked at the newcomer.

_'__Thank you Kami!'_

I looked over at the little adorable boy, who was to my utter dismay taller than I, try and tackle his big brother. Seeing them so carefree being siblings tugged at my heartstrings.

_'__Kami Damn it! I knew there was a price for asking for a save! This is the last time I ask for anything!'_

"Nii-san, who are they?" Little Uchiha Sasuke asked. Pinkie simply stared at little Sasuke. Damn she got it hard. Her blush was full on. I decided to intervene.

'I am Hachimitsu Hachiko, my pink haired friend is Haruno Sakura.' I signed. Little Sasuke looked at me with a confused face.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke questioned. I smiled and Itachi began to translate.

"So she doesn't talk?" Sasuke asked Itachi who didn't know what to say.

'I am mute.' Itachi nodded and relayed what I had signed.

"Eh. Sorry." Little Uchiha said and blushed a bit. Meanwhile Pinkie was still tongue-tied.

"Well we must get going. It was nice to meet you both." Itachi was very polite and bowed. I bowed back and waved goodbye. Sakura seemed to keep her gaze on little Sasuke's back.

I grinned a little and then the guilt just piled on as I stared at the two brothers and at Pinkie's blushing face aimed at the youngest Uchiha.

_'__This is going to be a long and painful journey for all of us isn't it?'_ I wondered.

Sakura's father picked us up and he noticed his daughter's lasting blush but didn't question it. I on the other hand relayed to him how we had met the Uchiha boys and that I taught Sakura how to use the swing. When I got home I retold my adventures to my parents. I left out my mission to befriend Naruto as it had failed but I wouldn't give up. I had my mind made up about befriending him and I was going to follow through even if I had to fight the world to accomplish it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This took long to get out (at least I felt it took long). I've had this ready since the last chapter release but I wanted to make sure this was it. I write these chapters on the fly and even though I have a decent plot set up… Hachiko decides on what goes down (trust me she has a mind of her own in my head). Enjoy the cuteness while it lasts.**

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><p><strong>Five: Falter, Waver and Break<strong>

As the days passed by, I kept an eye out for Naruto but I hadn't seen him at all. With each passing day, at night I was left to my thoughts. My guilt began to pile up with each passing night, so I didn't get much sleep. During the day, I'd have difficulty trying to stay awake so I was forced to take drastic measures, get some caffeine. There was no way I could get my hands on coffee or any hard caffeine if I asked for it so I had to plan with precision and in the event of failure and heavy repercussion, I stashed a good amount of my candies in a jar and stashed it under the loose floorboards under my bedroom floor. I had to observe the shop to find the right opening. During the afternoon rush when all hands were on deck. That's when I decided to go for it. At the peak of the afternoon rush I 'helped' at the front counter and acquired the coffee flavored candies efficiently and no one suspected a thing.

After getting the coffee candy, I was able to hide my exhaustion. The sweet nectar of the gods in a candy form helped me stay awake during the day but it also made me extra hypersensitive to chakra, which I didn't mind at all because it really helped when I was scoping out for the bright ball of sunshine that is Naruto. So far I had yet to see him.

Pinkie suspected that I was up to something one afternoon in the park. A coffee candy slipped into the small pile I typically let her have, I quickly made sure to yank it out of her reach by popping it in my mouth. Making a smile form at my face. Pinkie stared at me as she popped a cherry candy in her mouth. I kept my attention all around me feeling out for Naruto's chakra when Pinkie broke out of her thoughts.

"H-Hachi, are you okay?" Pinkie asked. I nodded excitedly and looked around and not at her.

'I'm perfectly fine. Today is a good day. The sun is shining and we got to skip out on handwriting exercises.' I signed quickly as I bounced on my seat.

"I don't know Hachi, you seem too happy. You sure you're fine?" Pinkie asked after a while. Lately she seemed to take longer to decipher my signing. I heard her but my eyes quickly focused on the area where a bright energy was approaching. A smile formed on my face when a certain blond walked past the park entrance. I jumped up from my seat and rushed to catch up to him.

"Hachi wait for me!" I heard Pinkie yell behind me. I broke into a sprint and before I could reach the park entrance I crashed into something hard and fell back. My nose hurt and so did my butt from the fall.

"Watch where you are going." All my attention focused on the person before me. He/She had long dark brown hair pulled back and wore a black shorts and a white short sleeved vest. The eyes were distinct, a Hyūga.

'Sorry.' I signed and got up dusting my butt and Pinkie reached me and was gasping for breath. I bowed at the boy/girl, whatever.

"Hachi didn't mean to bump into you." Pinkie apologized in a soft quivering voice, the boy/girl, whatever, was frowning and it was scaring Pinkie. I shook my left hand to get their attention.

'Tell him or is it Her? Cannot tell, to be nice, I did apologize after all. Oh and that they have nice hair.' Pinkie nodded at me but gave me this look as if she was unsure what to say.

"Hachi says she's sorry." She heavily edited my signing. I pouted at Pinkie and she gave me this apologetic look.

"Can't she tell me herself?" The way this boy or girl, said it was mean and Pinkie's shy nature made her shut up completely. I instinctively stood in front of Pinkie to shield her from the mean Hyūga with nice hair.

"Well? Will you speak or not?" I glared and thrust out my left wrist and pointed to the appropriate charm. I noticed the little androgynous brat's eyes widen and a small blush crept across said child's face.

"I apologize." I felt smug getting the apology.

"Neji!" I froze upon hearing the name and seeing the Hyūga before me respond. He apologetically bowed and ran off to another Hyūga, a teen who called for him. I simply stared at him retreat. I could feel my eyes well up with tears. This person before me… This person's death affected me the most once upon a time long ago.

_'__I will not falter, he has to… I will not falter. Don't cry. Don't you dare.'_

I shook my head and the feelings that crept up. I blinked away the tears and looked at Pinkie who stared at me with worry. I took Pinkie's hand and led her back to the grass. I suddenly didn't feel so good and no piece of sugary goodness could fix a sulking heart. Pinkie kept me company until her Dad picked us up. Sometimes I really undermined Pinkie's intelligence. She was really attentive towards my sudden mood swings, inability to focus and my erratic fast signing. She had told her parents who notified my parents.

Mim had to drag me to the hospital for a check up. Nurse Nanase happily took some blood, checked my height, weight. While she did the tedious work, I happily retold her of my adventures at the park. She laughed a bit when I began to bounce in my seat as I told her about the park. After Nurse Nanase left to get the blood work to the lab, Mim and I waited and then Medic Duelo came into the room. I pouted seeing him. Whenever I saw him, nothing good ever came. It always more work or treatment needed. He greeted Mim and I and then proceeded to check my heart and then he flashed a light in my eyes.

"Mimori-san, has Hachiko been drinking anything heavily caffeinated lately?" I froze in my seat and Mim shook her head.

"Heavens no. I make sure she only gets those that are non-caffeinated. Even then, I limit her intake of sweets. Is it serious?" Mim asked worriedly.

"She's a bit dehydrated, her heart rate higher than normal. She even seems jittery." Mim gave me a pointed look.

"Hachiko, your sweets please." I sighed and took the small bag with coffee candies. I tossed it to Mim and when she saw what was inside she frowned.

_'__Busted.'_

"These are concentrated! Hachiko! Why did you get these behind my back?" She looked angry and concerned. I expertly lied my way out of this one.

'You said to get the brown ones. Aren't those the Carmel candies?' I hand signed and looked confused. Mim sighed and shook her head.

"I'll have to make sure to keep those two candies separate so there's no mix up again." Mim said in her neutral tone, which signified that she was on to me simply because she meant it and it wasn't said in a soft joking tone.

"It seems it wasn't intentionally. How many have you had this entire time?" Medic Duelo asked me. I knew I'd get in trouble for this so I lied again.

'Two a day since I got them.' Medic Duelo nodded and then came the dreaded sentence.

"She'll probably feel a bit under the weather. There's slight chance that she might have gotten use to them but it's nothing we can't fix. It's a good thing we picked up on it on time. For now, no caffeine or any kind of food with small amounts of caffeine."

After the appointment, also came Mim's form of punishment. Mim didn't want to scold me in front of Medic Duelo but she reveled that she knew I was lying and for it I would pay a heavy price… No sweets for 4 weeks. My room was ransacked and all my stashes of candies were confiscated until further notice. It was dark times but luckily, one stash remained, the one I hid under the floorboards.

…

'May I please have just one candy. Please?' I begged. Mim kept her stand and wouldn't waver. Dad gave me a halfhearted smile. I pouted and went back to reading my book. It had only been two days since my punishment and it killed me to see others get treats so I kept myself away from the shop and kept to the courtyard.

Pinkie was unable to visit me since she was preparing for the oncoming enrollment week at the academy and her Dad was drilling her through the interview process. In other words, she was busy.

As I read through my chakra book I paused at Chapter 9: Chakra Types, on a whim I decided to feel it out my own chakra and see what it felt like. I began to search for it, like the book suggested. I relaxed my body and searched for the warmth within. It was strange. It was like three different kinds of ice cream. The strawberry portion was larger than the vanilla portion and the chocolate portion, although several times larger than the vanilla portion was still small and overlapped by the strawberry portion. It was still ice cream, I mean chakra, but they were different kinds.

I tried moving it around, like the book instructed and I found that it was difficult to mess with. It felt very thick and due to its viscosity, it was difficult to manipulate. It reminded me of tree sap. As I messed with my chakra, a loud customer made me loose my focus. I pouted and tried again.

This time it was easier to find, mainly because the chocolate portion felt the most familiar. The vanilla portion was okay but the strawberry portion, it felt overwhelmingly heavy and dense but strangely calming. I messed with each portion and found that the chocolate portion was the easiest to mess with and the vanilla portion was easily manageable when I mixed it with the Chocolate portion. Somehow they were compatible. The strawberry portion however was difficult to work with. I tried mixing the strawberry and vanilla only for it to be futile. I tried the same with the chocolate and strawberry and the result was the same.

_'__Who knew chakra would be this complicated?' _ I thought and not really caring about the consequences I mixed small, very small and even portions of the three different chakras. As I managed it my chakra senses became clearer and I could feel the emotions of others around me. I became giddy at what I had accomplished. I stopped channeling my chakra and grinned the rest of the day.

One day during the afternoon rush, I slipped out of the shop and explored the street. I decided to expand my senses and focused on the mixture of the three chakras. That's when I felt it, the mass of bright energy. I stopped channeling the chakra and turned around and walked towards where I felt it. As I walked it was getting stronger and coming from around the corner. I ran and reached the area I was looking for only to be pulled into a dark alley.

Normally dark alleys, children being grabbed meant bad things however I stared at who pulled me into the alley. I smiled widely and got strange looks from the boy I had been looking for ever since I laid eyes on him.

"What is this? What do you have that makes me aware of you? Do I know you?" I blinked at the onslaught of questions coming form Uzumaki Naruto. I held up my hands in using the universal sign to wait. I showed him my bracelet only for him to struggle to read it and when he finally did manage to read it his eyes widen.

"You can't talk?" He asked and I nodded confirming it. I beamed and remembered my offering. I pulled out the candy bag from my obi. It was little compared to my normal reserves due to the fact that I was surviving off my stashed coffer hiding under the floorboards in my bedroom. I offered what I had to Naruto who stared at it questioningly.

"What is this?" I sighed and opened the bag and randomly popped a piece of candy in my mouth. It was berry flavored. He raised an eyebrow and pulled a candy out and studied it carefully. I smiled seeing his cute little face beam as he popped it in his mouth.

"Mmm! Sweet." He said as he sucked on the candy. I nodded fervently and pulled out of my obi pocket a small paper I carried around and a pencil. I quickly wrote my name. It the only paper on me and I wanted to make sure he knew who I was. I wrote it in easy hiragana.

_Hachimitsu Hachiko_

"That's your name. Honey Eight child?" I did a soundless laugh and took the paper drawing a bee as best I could then I handed it back to him.

"Oh. I get it. Bee child. Ah. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, Future Hokage." He beamed excitedly. I bowed a bit and gave him a huge smile. We both sat down in the Alley and leaned on the wall. Inwardly I was beaming and on the outside, well I couldn't help but smile and bounce in my seat.

_'__I've met Uzumaki Naruto! YES! Achievement!'_

"So… I don't suppose you know why I know when you're around do ya?" He asked a bit shyly after he finished another candy. I heisted but wrote as best as I could on the small paper.

_I could sense you. You chakra is bright, warm and I had to find who was its holder._

"Oh. Yours feels like, hmm, familiar, like ah I know, three different flavors ya know." I inwardly beamed that he understood the three flavors of my chakra, I still didn't understand why it was that way but at least I knew he understood, and for Naruto to understand that was saying something. I nodded agreeing with him and earned a smile from him. My inner fangirl went into hysterics.

_'__KAWAII.'_

"Hey are you going to become a ninja?" The adorable blonde asked. I shrugged as I didn't want to outright say 'no' but I didn't want him to question me.

"You should that way we could both become ninja. I could use a right hand woman you know. You seem smart, you write neatly, you're pretty- Ah. I didn't mean it like that you know. I," I silently laughed and suppressed my blush. That got Naruto to stop talking as he stared at me. I controlled my laughter and smiled earning a blush from him. I messed with his hair and got a pout from him.

'Thank you' I mouthed and he understood.

"Y-you want to meet again around here?" He asked as I stood up and nodded smiling. I must have been the first kid his age that was willing to spend time with him. He looked excited and smiled at me.

_'__Ah, with a smile like that, NO. I must not waver.'_

I waved goodbye and he waved back. I left the Alley and headed back to the shop. It didn't escape my notice that with him, one ball of suppressed chakra followed after him from the top of the roofs.

The next day marked the beginning of Enrollment Week at the Academy for the new class starting in the spring. Pinkie and her Parents were at the registration event along with many families. I felt sort of left out since most children would be at the Academy grounds filling applications, getting medical evaluations and interviews. I on the others hand was at the shop since I was determined to stick to my civilian status. By far, Naruto got me to falter a bit in my decision but I was determined to hide amongst the civilian fodder.

"Ah, it seems you're not enrolling into the Academy." I looked up from my book and smiled brightly at Hatake Kakashi.

'That is only for those serious about protecting the village.' I signed and the scarecrow dared to challenge me.

'And you are not serious about the village?' I frowned and nodded.

'I am but I just… I don't have the capacity.' I quipped back.

'That is what the Academy is for.' He signed lazily and I mentally growled.

'Complicated. I know me and it's not for me.' I didn't get it, why was he pushing this topic? We never signed this much, ever.

"You won't know unless you try." He said by then I was gritting my teeth. I angrily signed.

'Why you suggest it?' I asked.

'Because I can see your potential even if you try to hold yourself back.' I blushed at his response. This meant he was interested in me, my potential that is.

'Think about it, it's never too late. You never know if you will like it or if it will interest you.' He quickly wrapped up the conversation because we both sensed Mim coming into the room.

"Hatake-san, What can I get for you today?" Mim started to help the Cyclops while I was left dealing with my internal dilemma.

_'__Would it hurt to join the academy? I could just try it out and when the time comes, drop out before the exam or completely fail and rejoin the civilian life until things hit the fan but what then?'_

It seemed my decision to not intervene with the timeline was wavering and that scared me. However there were thing's I hadn't thought of and those things scared me more than me messing with the timeline. It was the events that would unfold in six years. In six years, canon would officially start and as time progressed the chances of survival would diminish.

_'__Getting in the Academy, getting some formal training in some areas like combat wouldn't hurt and would help boost up my survival chances. I'd just have to work on getting thorough it by being average and not calling attention to myself then at the last minute, quit but make it convincing. Yeah that could totally work and the timeline will go on with out me messing with it… But is it the right thing to do?'_

"Bye Hachiko-chan." I looked up at the scarecrow and blushed at his suffix for me. He never called me that. Actually he never used my name. He chuckled as he noticed my blush and Mim dared to chuckle too.

_'__Damn you Hatake Kakashi! You're playing with my emotions!' _I internally roared.

That night I had plenty to reconsider. The timeline would go on as set by the powers that be but I would not perish along the way. No, I planned to see this timeline through to the end and if I wanted to make it through alive I'd have to get some sort of training. For the first time in weeks, I got a decent sleep and the next day during breakfast I dropped my request to my parents.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The original chapter six was much darker than usual and heavily rushed. Instead I decided to cut it up, sprinkle it about and lessen the heavy load. Oh and I apologize for the heavy use of tears in this chapter. What can I say, children are just much more emotional. Quick note, there's *mentions of Doctor Who, no spoilers though, just mentions. That is all.**

**[Insert Disclaimer here]**

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><p><strong>Six: The Emotional Range of a Child is Borderline Insanity for a Full Grown Adult<strong>

'I would like to apply to the Academy please.' I even added a bow. What followed were a series of gasps and a small cry from Mim.

"Hachiko, being a ninja is not a joke. It's a serious career. It's dangerous and you, I'm afraid your disability will become a problem." I gaped.

_'__Dad did not just say that.'_

I angrily jingled my bell to and in a flurry signed away.

'I know what it entails. I have given it full thought. I know it will be hard and that it requires hard work but I am willing to put in the effort. Don't you believe in me?' Dad looked stern and Mim was shaking silently.

"Hachiko, it's not that I don't believe in you, I do it's just that-" Didn't even get to finish his sentence.

"No! I will not lose another child." Mim erupted and I froze and noticed and Dad go rigid.

_'__Another child? What?'_

'I had a sibling? Why didn't you mention it!' I signed angrily and Mim looked hesitant to say anything.

"We were focused on getting you better. Rei… She was just a Chunin. We didn't get a warning, the fox appeared on this street and Rei in her valiant effort tried to buy time for us to get away through the underground tunnels. I watched my oldest child be swatted as if she was a fly by that monster." Dad said very darkly towards the end. I began to tremble at his words. I had a sister. I had a sister and she was a kunoichi. I had a sister who died in futile attempt to buy time. My emotions were starting to get the best of me. I wanted to cry, to be angry, to throw a fit but I let my rationality take over.

_'__This all happened to Hachiko before I ended up in her body. Stop feeling like it happened to you. It didn't happen to you. It happened to Hachiko… But why do I feel so betrayed?'_

Mim took over Dad's tale as he began to choke up.

"When you woke up we were relieved and when we learned of your disability, we focused on you since there was no point in dwelling in the past. We planned to tell you of Rei but with time, it felt best to keep you unaware." At this point both Mim and Dad were crying. Mim took out a small picture form her pocket and placed it on the table. I stared at the small photograph and went numb.

"That's Rei." My feelings and senses betrayed me. This was my big sister. She had wavy brown hair, light brown eyes and sunkissed skin.

This was my sister from my other life. This person, Rei, I knew her as Rose. She was an exact copy of _my _Rose. Rationality went out the window as my body began to tremble and tears began to pour out of my eyes, not out of sadness but out of being homesick. This entire time I had avoided thinking about my real parents, my sister and now it all came at me in one full swept rollercoaster of emotions. I was coming undone and my breathing got erratic and it hurt to breath. The last thing I heard was Mim's cry.

"Hachiko!"

…

I could hear talking but I couldn't make out the words.

"Be fine…. panic attack… shouldn't have... tell her the tr-" I could hear Medic Duelo as he spoke. I slowly came to and slowly understood what was being said.

"She asked to be enrolled in the Academy. What were we supposed to do? Let her follow Rei's absurd dream? Reach the same fate?" Dad replied.

"Rei was a fine kunoichi. She knew what she was doing. We both know that. Rei loved Hachiko and would die for her all over again if it meant Hachiko would live. You and I both know that is what any mother would do." I froze in my bed.

_'__What did he say! R-Rei is my mother? What kind of sick joke is this!?'_

"Shh. She could overhear you." That was Mim's voice.

"She's awake, aren't you Hachiko?" Medic Duelo said. I opened my eyes and simply stared at the ceiling.

_'__He knew I was awake and he wanted me to learn the truth even if it was this way.'_

"Hachiko." Mim flew to my bedside and tried to grab my hand only for me to shake her away.

"Hachi, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way." Her voice sounded pained. I glanced at the woman who took me in as her own, the woman I called 'Mim' out of affection. I felt homesick staring at her. This wasn't my Mim. This was Hachiko's Mim. I wanted my Mim. Naturally I started to cry.

"Hachiko my poor little-" As soon as she started to try to hug me I pushed her away and she gasped.

'Go away. Go away.' I signed and put my arm over my eyes. I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to hear anything they had to say. My breathing got erratic from the crying I was doing. I felt too many damn emotions for a child.

"Hachi please listen," Dad, No, his proper title would be Grandfather, said. I shook my head and turned away from them.

"I think it's best if we let her process what she's learned. Please Jun, Mimori, give her time. I'll make sure to watch over her. Give her the night to process things and tomorrow perhaps would be better for a long over due talk." Medic Duelo said.

"Alright. Hachi, please don't hate us." Mimori said. I didn't make any movement as I focused on controlling my silent cries.

…

The next few days I still felt so hurt and betrayed and confused. I knew that I shouldn't have been mean to Jun and Mimori but still how else was I supposed to react? Then there was the fact that I missed my real parents and sister. It had been years since I last saw them and for a moment I was terrified, I had almost forgotten their faces. Rei's picture reminded me of them and brought up that horrid feeling, homesickness. I refused to see Jun and Mimori. Medic Duelo vouched for me and kept them away at least until I felt ready to see them.

I knew my mental well-being became a concern when I stopped communicating with others. The nurses would come by but I wouldn't address them. Then one day Sakura came to visit and I knew she was worried as I didn't respond to her. I wasn't bouncing in my seat, bed in this case, I didn't smile or initiate a conversation. I just sat there and stared at the wall trying to numb myself, trying to cut off all emotion and thoughts.

"Hachi, umm, y-you can tell me anything. I-I won't judge you?" Sakura quietly asked. That opened the floodgates of repressed emotions but one stood out amongst the flurry, Guilt. It hurt to see her act like her old shy self around me, so for her, I made the exception.

'I know. It's just that they all lied to me. I know they meant well… I just… I am hurting okay.' I signed slowly trying to get the right words. I knew it was pure hypocrisy on my part since I was lying all the freaking time about who I was. I knew for sure that I'd be called crazy if I told them I was not their Hachiko but someone else from another world that knew lots of things she shouldn't. What made this whole scenario worse was the fact that the people I knew them differently and I couldn't vent to anyone because I was afraid to draw even more attention to myself.

"Adults lie all they time." I looked up at Sakura who was staring at her hands intently.

"They say they do what's best and sometimes they make mistakes but it's the reasons behind those little lies that show they care. I-I sometimes don't get it either but I guess that's how adults cope and handle things." She looked at me and her green eyes were filled with warmth and understanding.

'So you know what they lied to me about?' I asked and she nodded.

"I accidently heard my parents talking about it. I thought about it and tried to imagine how hard it must be for you but I can't imagine it. The best I could do is be here for you like you were for me when I was being picked on." Pinkie smiled brightly and a small tint of blush crept up her cheeks.

_'__You always know what to say to get me right in the feels.'_

Her answer revealed many things. One that I was one of those no good adults that lied, but her rant was perfect in that it really captured how I was coping with my situation. I thought before that I had accepted my new role as Hachiko but the truth was, I didn't, I just lied to myself and it was damaging my self-identity. Sakura, she saw me as her best friend, someone to be honest with. Fleetingly an idea surged but I squashed it as soon as it came. I could never share with her my real name nor my complicated situation. I would carry that secret to the grave. That was my burden to carry.

_'__Oh kami, is this how the Doctor feels? Keeping your name hidden, knowing future events__*****__... But none of that matter now. The past is in the past and all that remains is that I move forward. All that matters is that I live day by day and oversee the events that are to come.'_

"Hachi?" I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at Sakura.

"Umm, you were quiet for too long." She managed to say but I was too busy looking at her properly now. Her bangs were tied back by a headband.

'When did that happen? Your hair style.' I asked and Pinkie beamed.

"I-I was getting picked on and this nice girl, Yamanaka Ino helped me. Sh-She suggested for me to wear my hair like this. Y-You like it?"

_'__Canon be damned. This happened sooner than anticipated. Ah shit. Timeline events have been compromised. Well fuck.'_

"Hachi?" I snapped out of my thoughts and gave her a small smile.

'Your hair looks nice. Now I can see you cute little face.' That got her to blush and I smiled but on the inside I was panicking. She was supposed to befriend Ino during her first year at the academy during Kunoichi lessons. Not during enrollment week! Maybe I had made enough of a dent of the timeline that the speed at which events were happening increased but if that was the case… Then as long as the events happened, things would still be okay and predictable.

After Pinkie's visit, I felt still heavy with feelings but at least I had sorted out my emotions with a sound mind. It was then that I decided I was ready to see both Jun and Mimori. I still had questions and my childish emotions began to instill this fear of what place was with them. So I asked Medic Duelo to have them visit.

The next day, I was a ball of nerves. It was an awkward reunion. Medic Duelo stood in as mediator, I think. I really had no idea why he was still here if this was a family affair but I figured it had to do with my wellbeing so I let it be.

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so rude.' I signed lessening the awkward atmosphere in the room.

"We can't blame you for your reaction to the truth… We shouldn't have lied to you even if we just wanted what was best for you." Mimori said. I winced but nodded. I wanted to repress my curiosity but I couldn't. I needed answers of where i stood in their lives and I wanted to know who Hachiko's father was.

'So what does that make us now? Where does that leave me in your lives? What's going to happen to me when my father comes looking for me? Does he even know about me?' I looked at all three adults.

"Hachiko, I am your father." I blinked twice and felt like slapping my forehead at the obvious.

_'__That's why he looked familiar… Duelo looks just like him, Rose's fiancé, well he's got long hair but how the hell did I miss that!' _ I started to silently laugh and I fell back on my bed and tears just streamed out of my face.

"Hachiko?" Jun asked and I just couldn't stop laughing.

"She's just laughing… I'd say it's about time she laughed but at the moment, I'd have to make sure she's mentally sane as this is a serious moment." I stopped laughing and sat up getting their attention as I wiped my tears away.

'I'm fine. It's just, I should've known. I was just too shortsighted to see it. I figured you were just the very concerned medic that took his job serious.' I signed.

"You're taking this news rather well." Duelo commented and I shrugged. At this point nothing would surprise me anymore. If somehow I managed to become full on mary sue, gee I wouldn't fucking be shocked. In fact, I wouldn't be fazed at all if suddenly Tobito showed up. At this point logic and reasoning had failed me so me, I'd take everything thrown at me.

'How else am I supposed to take it? Would you like me to throw a tantrum?' I asked and the three adults sweat dropped.

"This is going smoother than I thought." Jun added.

"She's mature for her age, like a true Kuroyama." That caught my attention.

_'__K-Kuroyama… That's a similar translation to my real last name. Blackhill. HOW IN THE HELL? NO. I'm not even gonna think about it because then I'll just start laughing again and then they'll really try and get me evaluated and that's the last thing I need.'_

'Is that my real family name? I mean, the one I'm supposed to have?' I asked Mimori who was paying close attention to me. She nodded.

"Duelo didn't know about you until after the attack. It was then that he learned of your identity." I stared at Duelo who nodded.

"I was out of the village expanding my knowledge in medicine and other things." He said rather quietly as if he wanted to avoid thinking of his time outside the village.

'Where do we go from here?' I asked and got a small smile from Jun and Mimori.

"We'll love you always. I guess now I'm your Jiji and Mim, well she'll always be Mim but now, I think it's time you got to know your father, your Dad, Duelo." Jun-jiji said. I looked at Duelo who looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I-I don't know if I'll be a good Dad, I think I'll do a better job as your medic to be honest." Now this was the first time I had seen Duelo be uncomfortable.

"It's okay. We'll be around to help you, be happy you didn't deal with Diapers." Mim joked and I gave Duelo a small smile. Things were changing again, this time though, I felt like I could adjust better. At least I didn't react violently this time.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I had cuteness overload writing this. My inner fangirl raged so much, I had to pause from writing and go out for a run. My beautiful/handsome readers, thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favorite-ing (so not a word but meh).**

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

**[Insert Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><strong>Seven: Bad Influences<strong>

The next day after the talk with the family, I had yet to be released. Duelo found something during one of my check ups and so I wasn't discharged. Instead he was busy ordering nurses to monitor my vitals while he talked with Jun-jiji and Mim about what was going on in private. A nurse strolled into the room with a small food cart. She set the food on my bed tray and then left. I felt a bright mass of chakra.

_'Oh shit. I forgot I was supposed to meet him!'_

I stared at the door and wondered when he'd barge in. I raised an eyebrow as the door creaked open slightly.

"H-Hello?" I shook my left arm to make the jingling noise, maybe he'd remember the noise I made when moving. Instantly the door flung open and there stood the hyperactive blonde boy with the orange vest and shorts, in all his loud glory.

"Hey! I got the right room!" A smile crept on my face seeing Uzumaki Naruto only to falter as I noticed his facial expression. He looked mad as he entered the room. I think he noticed something was wrong as I was in the hospital and a bit of concern was revealed through his eyes.

"Hachiko-chan! What happened to ya? I waited for you at the alley every day! After you didn't show up, I started to look for ya to get some answers ya know. At first when you didn't show up, I thought you were like the rest of them and I got angry because... Y-You're my first friend. I didn't want to lose ya." His word's left me speechless, for lack of a better word. I jumped out of the bed and reached forward to hug him, startling him in the process.

_'I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything you've had to suffer, everything you will go through… I don't deserve your friendship but I'll do my damn best to make sure you don't suffer too much. I will not abandon you.'_

I silently promised and put into that hug everything I had felt in the past few days… All the sadness, all the longing to move on. To me this was a goodbye hug to all those pent up feelings. I think Naruto felt that my hug was more than just a consolation hug as he hugged me too but his feelings, I didn't know what they were. We turned into a crying mess and when we let go, I felt light. He gave me a weak smile with a small blush.

"Why are we crying? This is a reunion ya know." I wiped my tears with my hand and nodded. I shared my meal with him and he talked mostly about what he had been up to and how he had looked for me and never thought about the hospital until he heard some of the nurses talking about that 'the wild mute child was back in the hospital' and decided on a whim to see if that same child was me. His tale was entertaining but at the same time, I felt like enacting some revenge on those gossiping nurses. Maybe Naruto would be willing to set a prank or two loose on my behalf.

The door to the hospital room opened and Naruto jumped off my bed and stood shyly as Jun-jiji, Mim and Duelo entered. Jun-jiji glared at Naruto who glared back only furthering Jun-jiji's scowl. Mim's face was stern as she looked between Naruto and I. Duelo was the only one who had a little smile on his face, even if it was forced.

"Ah I see you have a visitor. Naruto-kun, I didn't know you were friends with Hachiko." Naruto's glare lightened up a bit as he looked at Duelo.

"Y-Yeah." Naruto said with a hard voice and Duelo nodded.

"I need to give her a check up and have a talk with her and her grandparents. How about you come visit tomorrow?" Duelo was being nice to Naruto and that was a relief.

"Alright Duelo-oyaji." I kept myself from having a fit of giggles and I couldn't help but wonder how long they had known each other. Naruto turned to me and gave me a warm smile.

"I'll be back tomorrow and I'll see if I can sneak you in some ramen from Ichiraku's so you don't have to eat this nasty hospital food. I can't become Hokage without my future right-hand woman being unhealthy and all because the hospital food is nasty." I gave him a toothy smile and nodded. He grinned. I earned a hard stern look from Mim and Jun-jiji's glared at Naruto intensified as he left.

"So that's where you got the ridiculous idea to become a ninja." Jun-jiji bit seethed and crossed his arms. At the pit of my stomach I felt this feral feeling.

**_'How dare they mock his dream, my place in his dream.' _**My thoughts grew angry and I couldn't contain the anger growing in me. I openly glared back only to earn a scolding from Mim.

"Hachiko, drop that scowl."

'Only if Jun-jiji drops his glare. I know why you hate him. I'm not stupid. You can't see past your hate. He's a really nice boy.' Duelo gave me a look and signed for me to stop it.

"Oh no. No. You get that ridiculous blush off your face." Jun-jiji reprimanded. I didn't even realize I was red in the face.

'There's nothing wrong with me liking him.' I signed and crossed my arms while Mim gaped.

"Hachiko, you don't understand the situation. We are just worr-" I cut off Mim as I uncrossed my arms and started a flurry of signing. My anger was causing the pit of my stomach to feel hot.

'No. If you can't accept my friendship with him then that is your problem. Turn your eyes away from it, I don't care just don't you dare ask me to stop being his friend.'

"Duelo, say something." Jun-jiji turned to Duelo who shook his head.

"I don't have a problem with their friendship." He announced earning a glare from Jun-jiji and a soft look from Mim.

"Well I do and will forbid you from seeing that demon. It tore my family once apart, not again." Jun-jiji growled. I felt bubbling anger in my stomach extended out and began to tighten around my chest.

**_'Demon? He isn't a demon, they're acting like demons!' _**I internally raged even though I was in pain.

"HACHIKO! EVERYONE OUT."

"What's going on?" I heard Mim ask. I felt woozy and Duelo eased the pain in my stomach with his green-hand-glowing jutsu. The room was cleared out and it was only Duelo and I. After the pain began to subside, Duelo looked very thoughtful.

"How long have you been mixing the three energies within you?" I looked at him and he waited for me to reply.

'I've only done it twice. You know about them? Why do I have three?' Duelo looked thoughtful but reprimanded me first before answering me.

"That was reckless and dangerous." I did deserve that but I asked him more. I didn't think it was dangerous or reckless.

'Why? What's wrong with me messing with them? I though chakra was meant to be messed with?'

"It is, but you are young and untrained. Not to mention you have only two chakras."

'No I have three.' I clarified recalling the information from my chakra book. Duelo shook his head.

"No technically you have two. It seems you are able to discern between the three types of energies in your system. That's something not many can do." I raised an eyebrow and Duelo sighed.

"You're too smart for your own good and that's bad Hachiko. You don't know it all and you shouldn't have mixed your chakra without proper supervision." Now I was concerned if he was lecturing me like a parent does to a child.

'Give it to me straight how bad is it?' I signed and hoped it wasn't bad but the way he looked, he was in doctor mode.

"Technically your body contains remnants of the Kyuubi's Chakra along with your spiritual and physical energy. The Kyuubi's chakra is strong and in the past has shown that it can overpower its host's chakra if there aren't proper seals set as buffers. Most children that were affected by it's chakra during the attack and happened to absorbed some of it's foul chakra were put into a coma and in some cases it overwhelmed their bodies and they died. I was able to keep you alive by keeping the chakra's separate. It was difficult but manageable." He explained.

_'Oh shit. I had undone all the work he had put into keeping them separate.'_

"I had planned for you to get a seal on the kyuubi's chakra if you ever asked to be a ninja. However I didn't expect you'd be mixing them already. Mixing the kyuubi's chakra with your other energies gave it the vehicle needed to spread. I've kept you in the hospital to observe your behavior and it seems that when you get angry, it begins to overwhelm you. At first it just wore you down physically. Mimori reported to me that you had taken to sleeping a lot and that you were loosing muscle mass again but recently, Hachiko did you notice that when you got angry the pain intensified?" Duelo asked and I nodded.

"That was because it was trying to influence your spiritual energy."

'So now what?' I asked worriedly. So far none of this was good news.

"It seems I'll need to get a seal expert to see you and go from there." I nodded and he sighed.

"You know. I think that intelligence of yours is going to get you into trouble one day." I looked at Duelo who looked years older as he showed his emotions. I never realized how controlled his emotions were until now.

"Dad's going to make it better. I promise." He said with such assurance. I found it consoling and strange, I was still not use to thinking of him as my father.

'Is Jun-jiji going to be angry with me for a while?'

"Yeah. He's just still very hurt over loosing Rei." I nodded because I understood that Jun-jiji and Mim were hurt.

'Can I live with you?' I asked hesitantly.

"Is this because you know they'll keep you cooped up within the shop after you're discharged?" I nodded. The last thing I wanted was to be a prisoner and lose Naruto's friendship. Jun-jii and Mim would always be family, even if they didn't agree with my decisions but Naruto, so far I was his only friend.

"I'll see what I can do. For now, relax and try not to get angry." Duelo said and ruffled my hair making it a mess of golden brown locks.

…

The following day, I was a ball of nerves. The seals expert would be coming in the afternoon to see what could be done about my chakra fiasco. Jun-jiji couldn't visit because he was still sore over my friendship with Naruto, Duelo didn't want me to get angry so for now, Jun-jiji was banned. Mim being the more sensible one was allowed since she was less angry over my friendship with Naruto. When she came over she brought me some flowers and homemade food. She avoided talking about anything pertaining Kyuubi, Naruto and Rei. Instead she told me about the new sweets she was working on. She even left me some treats so I could share with my friends. I noticed she had added a little extra, proving to me she was making an effort in accepting Naruto.

"Hachi!" Pinkie, my second visitor of the day, beamed. Her mother came by for an appointment and let Pinkie stay with me in the meantime.

'Pinkie!.' I signed and she pouted at my nickname for her but then she gave me a soft smile.

"I see you're feeling much better. Ah! You'll never guess who I saw again." Her cheeks were tinted and I knew it had something to do with little Duckbutt. She seemed a bit more confident now that I thought about it.

'Who? The cute Hyūga from the park?' I messed with her and she shook her head.

"No. Uchiha Sasuke. He's going to the Academy staring in the spring! Eh, you like the Hyūga?" Pinkie asked me and I gave her a small smile. I shook my head defensively.

'No I just think he's cute.' I signed and coughed a bit.

"Eh, Hachi who do you li-." Before Pinkie could interrogate me. The hospital room door flung open.

"Ohayo Hachiko-chan!" Naruto loudly exclaimed as he entered my room. Pinkie immediately clammed up. Seemed she was still shy and only talkative around me. Naruto stared at Sakura and he blushed.

_'Oh dear. Crush at first sight!'_

I waved at Naruto and patted on the bed for him to sit. Pinkie scooted over a bit and stared at Naruto and I.

'Pinkie this is Naruto. Introduce yourself to him since I can't do it for you.' I signed and Pinkie looked at me and protested. Meanwhile Naruto stared at the two of us.

"You know what she's saying?" Naruto asked Pinkie who nodded.

"Um, I'm Haruno Sakura. Hachi asked me to introduce myself and translate." Pinkie shyly muttered. Naruto's eyes brightened.

"Cool! You must be really smart. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage ya know. Ne, Hachiko-chan, you have smart friends, as expected from my right-hand woman." Naruto exclaimed and I blushed. Pinkie looked between the two of us and then she had a moment of realization.

'You like him?' Pinkie signed excitedly and I inwardly groaned.

'He's my friend. I do like him but not like like him.' I signed. To prevent Naruto from asking what we were saying, I brought out my candies and shared them. Sakura took the tomato-lime treat, Naruto the plum suckers and I got a honey drop. Naruto began telling us of his latest prank that involved chicken feathers and an Anbu or two getting caught in the mass explosion of feathers and bright orange paint.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt your small gathering but Sakura-chan, your mother is here." Duelo announced. I inwardly groaned as I saw Pinkie's mother give Naruto a stern glare.

"Let's go Sakura. I hope you get better Hachiko-chan." Pinkie's mother managed to say from her tight lips. I nodded and looked worriedly at Pinkie.

'Bye.' I signed and Pinkie waved goodbye to both Naruto and I. I didn't fail to notice that Naruto seemed a bit down after Pinkie and her mother left. I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and that got him to smile a bit.

"Hachiko, we need to get you ready for what we talked about yesterday." I pouted at Duelo's requests, well more like orders.

"I should get going too. I'll see you tomorrow?" Naruto asked and I nodded. He waved goodbye and left. Duelo Nurse Nanase to help me get ready. She helped me wrap my chest and set out short white shorts. The hospital gown was placed over me for the meantime, while we waited for the seal expert.

After a good while the 'expert' came along, late might I add. A blush formed in my face as I looked up at the one of two people that could get me to blush, Hatake Kakashi.

"Yo, Hachiko-chan." The scarecrow greeted. I had to say I was confused. I know the manga and anime never went into much detail but how the hell was Kakashi a seals expert? I know he had some knowledge in fuuinjutsu but it was never disclosed how good he was.

"You two seemed acquainted." Duelo commented and looked at me pointedly. Kakashi chuckled and nodded. I quickly touched my face and it felt warm.

_'Oh Kami! Am I blushing?'_

"I met her at the Hachimitsu Shop. So she's your daughter?" Kakashi asked and Duelo nodded. I shook away my blush and looked at the two adults.

"I should've guessed. She's got the same intelligence levels you had." I smirked at the playful jab Kakashi aimed at Duelo.

"Had?" Duelo questioned. Their conversation had me wondering how long they had known each other.

"Well, you know what I mean. So let's have a look at her chakra." Kakashi said and directed his attention to me.

"Hachiko, access your chakra for us. Don't do anything else but that." Kakashi asked. I nodded and got serious.

I closed my eyes and focused on the chakra inside me. The pink chakra was warmer than usual and it seemed to have seriously mixed into the vanilla energy. The vanilla energy, well what was left of it felt faint and it was what kept the brown energy separate from the pink chakra.

"I won't lie to you. This isn't good. Her physical energy is being overwhelmed and it seems to be protecting her spiritual energy but it won't hold out against Kyuubi's chakra." I opened my eyes and looked at Duelo who, Kakashi was primarily speaking to. Duelo looked deep in thought.

_'So the pink is K-Kyuubi's chakra. Then… Vanilla would be my physical while my brown Chocolate portion is my spiritual energy…' _I tried not to freak out but stay calm and rational.

"How long will her physical energy hold out?" Duelo asked. I looked alarmed at both of them.

_'Hold out? Just how worse has this gotten?'_

"We'll have to seal it now. Since Kyuubi's chakra is too intertwined with her physical energy, I'm afraid we'll have to seal it up completely. Her spiritual energy will be fine but she'll never be a ninja." That felt like a punch to the gut.

_'I-I can't be a ninja. I can't go to the academy… I won't get to be Naruto's right hand woman.' _

"I see. I'm sorry Hachiko, I know you wanted to be a ninja." Duelo said and put a hand on my shoulder.

_'So that's it? My only option, the one I strayed from, civilian fodder, that's all I can be in a world of many possibilities?'_

I put my head down and clenched my fists.

"Hachiko-chan?" I lifted my head and looked at Kakashi.

"Strip." My face heated up, I think I looked like a tomato. Duelo smacked the back of Kakashi's head.

"Don't say it like that. That's my little girl you're talking to." Duelo scolded and emphasized on the 'little girl' part. Despite their funny interaction I got their attention shaking hand so the bell charm would get their attention.

'Will it hurt?' I asked recalling that a certain Uchiha screamed his head off when he got his cursed mark sealed. Kakashi sighed and nodded head.

"It will but it's for the best. Can you be strong for me and your Dad?" I nodded sheepishly and he ruffled my messy golden brown locks.

"Well then, let's get this started." Kakashi announced.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: SKIP THIS IF YOU WANT TO READ THE STORY AND NOT CARE ABOUT MY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS AND EXCUSES. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME BACK AND READ THIS TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF THIS CHAPTER AND WHERE IT'S GOING. THANKS.**

**If you're still reading, thank you. I'm sorry for many things. First that this is late., I've been watching K-POP STAR 3, got a little sidetracked not to mention that the story is coming to an end ****_(If you've been following and peeking at my profile you'd know that) _****and I just had some trouble weaving this together and trying not to cry since this story is my baby and it's growing up. Ahem, Anyways… Secondly, I'm also sorry that I haven't replied to any of my reviewers. Most of your answers will be in this chapter. A lot of you were concerned with what would happen to Hachiko. Fear not, she may not be a ninja but she'll be able to keep up with one and even take on one. The final chapter will be posted next week along with the transitional chapter for Part 2, which will take place 5 years later, when Naruto and Sakura are in their final year of the Academy… That's all I'm letting slip. Anywho, please enjoy!**

**[Insert Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><strong>Eight: Another of Life's Hurdles<strong>

**_'_**_Don't blush. Don't blush. He's not this close to you. Think of bunnies! No candy! Yes. Candy. Sweet. Sweet.' _

I broke out of my thoughts by silently giggling.

"Much better. You need to relax. If you're too tense then it'll hurt much more." My lamely restrained blush intensified as my brain registered what happned. Kakashi had tickled me. He touched my exposed flesh that is. I was in white shorts and the wraps concealed my chest but my tummy, that was his work area and he dared to tickle me!

I don't know what was more humiliating, the fact that he had to write all around my belly and back, meaning his proximity to me was way too close for my comfort or the fact that he purposely tickled me to get me from being too tense. After a few minutes Kakashi finally announced he was finished. Duelo checked my vitals one last time.

"You'll be fine." Duelo said and ruffled my hair, which was up in a messy bun.

"Okay. I'm starting. Just in case she does happen to pass out, Hachi, you'll need to sit." Kakashi said as if it was no big deal. I stared at him with wide eyes. No one said anything about passing out! He said it would hurt a little! A LITTLE.

After I sat down, carefully too so that the ink on my skin wouldn't get blotchy, Kakashi sat across from me and gave me a firm nod. His hands did a long sequence of various hand signs. They were moving too fast to follow and when he finished he held out his right hand, hovering it over my stomach. At first it pinched and then the pain doubled and it felt like a punch to the gut. Unable to make a sound, being mute and all, I endured and just when I thought I'd make it through there was a painful feeling surging from my stomach to my head and the darkness that followed almost had me believing this was it. I was going to die.

…

Two days later I woke up, I was immediately looked over by Duelo who noticed my put off emotion and had to get Kakashi so he could check and be sure the seal was working. In the meantime I wondering why I was feeling different but I shook the feeling away and assumed it was because of the seal.

After Kakashi made sure the seal was working fine he left. I got my first visitors of the day, more like afternoon. It was Mim and Jun-jiji. Mim I was prepared for but Jun-jiji, we hadn't been on the best of terms before the sealing.

When Jun-jiji came into the room he looked utterly relieved to see me awake. Mim fawned over me and cried. Jun-jiji had a soft look but it was hardened, that was expected seeing as he was as stubborn as I. After Mim got her self together Jun-jiji spoke.

"Duelo has asked for you to move in with him once you're discharged however before that can happen, my mother, Kisaki-mama, wishes to meet you." I tilted my head as this was news. The clan was rarely mentioned by Jun-jiji, hardly if ever. I learned most of what I knew from Mim. Mim explained it to me once and it was briefly. The Hachimitsu Clan originated from the Land of Iron before they settled in the Land of Honey. It was a proud civilian clan founded, led and reared by the women of the clan. That's as much as I got from her. I thought it was just a bunch of fluff really.

'Alright. So when will I meet her? Will she be coming soon?' I asked and looked at Mim who looked at Jun-jiji.

"The thing is, Kisaki-mama can't make the travel. As the Lady of the Land of Honey and the head matriarch of the Hachimitsu clan, she is unable to make the travel, not to mention her advanced age." Mim explained and I simply nodded to be adorable because let's face it, I got more answers when I was being adorable whereas if I was serious adults got stiff, except Duelo, he'd just go into medic mode.

'Is she the Daimyo of the Land of Honey?' I asked curiously since this was the first time I heard about Jun-jiji's mother.

"Similar but not quite. The land of Honey has several noble clans and one of the many get chosen to lead the country after the last predecessor dies." Jun-jiji explained with a sour face.

'So, when do we leave?' I asked and Mim gave me a small smile.

"In a week. That should give us plenty of time to get the shop in order and that should give you enough time to say good-bye to your _friends_." Jun-jiji explained. It didn't escape my notice how he said _'friends'_. To my dismay, Naruto nor Sakura were able to visit as it was late in the afternoon. Duelo promised to get ahold of them for tomorrow.

The next day, as soon as visiting hours started, I smiled silently waiting for it. Ever since I had woken up, I could feel a bright chakra lingering outside the hospital. It came to no surprise when Naruto burst through the room door.

"Hachiko! You're okay! Duelo-oyaji said you went through a long pro-procee-something and that you needed lots of rest. Are you feeling better?" Naruto somehow never stopped amusing me. I nodded and patted my bed for him to sit. He jumped on and began to tell me about his past two days. Mostly involving ramen and pranks. As he was half ways through his tale, Duelo appeared and greeted us both.

"I see Naruto-kun has been lifting your spirits." I smiled widely at Duelo's comment. I looked at Naruto who simply smiled with a similar smile.

"You bet I am. Brightening Hachiko-chan's day is what I do best ya know." Naruto pronounced and I simply blushed in embarrassment.

_'__At least he's not doing it on purpose, unlike a certain scarecrow.' _I told myself. Duelo had this look that meant more teasing for me.

"And please continue to do so. Hachiko, your grandparents are here." I got a bit uncomfortable and looked over at Naruto who looked at me. I reached out my hand over to his and held it, to let him know, I would not abandon him and be there for him, despite whatever reaction he'd manage to get from Mim and Jun-jiji today.

When Duelo returned, my grandparents followed in tow. They both noticed Naruto. Mim gave him a small nod but Jun-jiji out right glared as he noticed I was holding Naruto's hand. Naruto in retaliation started to glare back.

"I should get going. I'll be back tomorrow Hachiko-chan." I nodded at Naruto and gave his hand a nice squeeze. He smiled back and left. I couldn't help but notice that as he left, he wasn't as bright as when he came in.

"You intend to make me grow out gray hairs don't you?" Jun-jiji said and I let out an exasperated huff.

'He's my friend. I won't abandon him just to be complacent to your feelings.' I let him know. I wasn't going to let anyone dictate my decisions; I was a grown woman-er in the body of a child, but not that it mattered as this was after all my life.

"Please let's not start. Duelo wanted us together to let us know something important right?" Mim diffused the tension expertly and directed all the attention on to Duelo.

"Yes. Well firstly I'll have to fill in Hachiko about our previous talks while she was asleep." I looked at the three adults and wondered what they knew.

"Hachiko, right after the sealing there were unforeseen complications. The sealing flushed out the Kyuubi's chakra into the seal and in the process severely damaged all your nerves. Have you noticed anything strange?" I nodded hesitantly.

'Something feels different. I don't know what.' I answered.

"It seems your nerves got overwhelmed. The seal was designed to seal off your physical energy along with any of the kyuubi's chakra, so any lingering remnants in your body got pulled into the seal and that's what caused a strain on your nervous system as it's heavily intertwined with the chakra network. Your chakra network is fine but your nerves weren't. While you were unconscious, I let your grandparents know of what was going on and that you probably wouldn't be able to travel until the nerves got better. However yesterday when you woke up and I gave you a checkup I picked up something strange. Unconsciously your spiritual energy started working to make you as comfortable as possible. You should've woken up with sore muscles or some sort of pain but you didn't right?" Duelo asked and I nodded. He was in medic mode and hid behind his calm mask so I wasn't sure if this was good or bad.

"I've never seen anything like this. Kakashi however mentioned that in the Land of Demons, there are people who rely solely on the use of the spiritual energy and use it in various ways, similar to what your spiritual energy is doing." Shion and her mother, who's name escaped me, popped into my head.

"I have grown concerned with how much your body has begun to rely on your spiritual energy. It's been two days and even if it's completely soothed you over exhausted nerves, it's still trying to heal you. As of today, you're running on three-fourths of your remaining spiritual energy. That's a lot for the past few days and you aren't able to restore it all in a nights sleep. Here in Konoha we have no way of replenishing your spiritual energy. If I gave you chakra pills, you'd have more damage than good done."

'Can't I train to stop it? Control it like chakra?' I asked and Duelo nodded.

"There is a way but we the methods we'd use require you to actively use your sealed physical energy. Alone, Spiritual Energy is a much more raw and complicated. It requires the right mental capacity and controlled emotion to manipulate it let alone control it. We'd need a true professional to help you and as I mentioned before, the only ones available are in Demon Country."

'That's why you told me about the trip, you wanted to prepare me for this news?' I asked Mim and Jun-jiji.

"Yes. While you were unconscious the decision was made however just like you we just learned of the necessity and severity of your case. As it happens, Mim and I finished putting our business in order. We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow." I gaped. Two days wasn't enough time. Pinkie and Naruto surged into my mind.

'When will I be returning?' I asked and Duelo kept hiding behind his mask. Jun-jiji looked away and Mim answered me.

"It's uncertain. We planned for a month or three but we just can't be sure, so we've taken into account that traning to control your spiritual energy might require years. If necessary, Your grandmother and I will move to Demon Country until the end of your training." My body became listless.

'_He said years. YEARS! I won't be here to see Pinkie and Naruto's development.'_ I couldn't control my emotional reaction. I knew I had a shocked face.

"Hachiko?" Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at Jun-jiji who had his rest-bitch-face but his eyes shone darkly, meaning he didn't like what he was going to say next.

"We would have left tomorrow after your release but Mim wanted you to have time to say your goodbye's." I looked at Mim in a new light. She really was trying to accept my friendship with Naruto. She gave me a small smile and after their visit, I slept with a heavy heart.

…

Duelo had my discharge papers ready the next morning. Mim helped me change into a soft yellow kimono dress with an orange sash. While I got ready, Duelo and Jun-jiji were talking outside. Once we were ready to go, Naruto showed up. Jun-jiji sternly looked at him and I smiled when Mim nudged Jun-jiji with her elbow, hard.

"Hachiko-chan!" Naruto bolted up to me to hug me but stopped himself. He looked at my grandparents (so weird to call them that) and shyly greeted them.

"Hello Naruto-kun." Mim managed to say and I smiled brightly. She was really making the effort here and it was heavily appreciated by Naruto and I.

'May I please spend the day with Naruto-kun. Please, please please!' I begged.

"Might as well as he's already here." Jun-jiji said sternly and signed the last part.

'You still have to pack before we depart so be sure to be home by sunset. We leave tomorrow morning at 9am.' I nodded and looked at Mim.

'Tell Naruto to just follow me.' Mim nodded and relayed my message. Naruto beamed and nodded. I led him to Pinkie's house. Before reaching her house I had Naruto wait around the corner. I knew if her mom saw him, she'd restrain Pinkie back. It took an effort for Naruto to understand me. At first he followed but I pushed him back and pointed at the ground he was standing on and used my hands to use the universal sign to wait.

"Why can't I come?" I gave him my '_Really?'_ look and he grudgingly stayed. I quickly reached Sakura's house only to find that she wasn't home but at the park! I thanked her mom and ran for it. I ran around the corner and didn't even alert Naruto as I took his hand and had him break into a run with me.

"Where are we going?" He yelled as I expertly weaved through walking pedestrians who were glancing and throwing dark looks our way as they realized it was Naruto and I, well they were mostly glaring at Naruto and giving me odd looks. When we reached the park I let go of Naruto's hand.

"You're crazy sometimes ya know?" He said as he was panting. I was catching my breath too but this was urgent so I just nodded getting a laugh out of him. I gestured for him to follow me and he did so. I looked around, searching for pink hair.

"We lookin for someone?" He asked and I nodded trying to find Sakura's chakra signature but it was hard since she was small and didn't have large chakra reserves to set her apart from other children. As I was mulling over the feel of Pinkie's chakra to zero in on her, Naruto tapped my shoulder.

"Isn't that your friend?" He asked. I noticed he was blushing as he was pointedly looking to a grassy area where Pinkie sat with what looked like a very young chibi Ino. I clapped and patted Naruto's head. I walked over and he trailed behind me, probably still blushing like mad.

"Hachi! Naruto-kun." Pinkie beamed as she saw me. I gave her a small wave.

"I was going to visit you today. I didn't know you were out of the hospital already." I smiled and looked at Little Yamanaka Ino who stood up and smiled and held her hand out.

"Sakura's spoken a lot about you. I'm Yamanaka Ino. Who's that?" I turned and noticed Naruto was being bashful as our attention, well he only cared that Pinkie had noticed him so that was the cause for his sudden change in attitude.

"Uzumaki Naruto. He's Hachi's _friend_." Pinkie said. I gave Pinkie the _it's-not-like-that_ look. Only to earn a look from her and Ino.

"Ah~" Ino brightened up and nodded at Pinkie. It seemed Ino was being a good influence brining out Pinkie from her shell in my absence… I sort of felt jealous. I'd be leaving tomorrow their friendship would only grow from here. I felt left out. I felt my eyes sting a bit… DAMN YOU CHILDISH EMOTIONS.

"Hachi you okay?" Pinkie asked and I shook my head. I knew I looked sad. I wiped my eyes to get the sneaky tears wiped before they noticed anything.

"Eh! You're not in any pain are you? You sure your okay? If not I can walk you back home to rest ya know." Naruto quickly shifted out of his bashful attitude and motherhened me.

'I have some bad news.' I signed and Pinkie gasped and stared at me.

"What she say?" Naruto asked Pinkie who looked at me with worry.

'I'm leaving tomorrow. This is my last day in Konoha for a while.' Pinkie relayed what I was signing. Naruto looked absolutely rigid until he snapped, rather loudly too.

"Leaving?! Why does my only good friend have to leave?!" Naruto cried, more like demanded to know.

As I explained my scenario (and Pinkie translated), about my health, how I could never be a ninja and how I needed to find a teacher to control Spiritual Energy. It became apparent that Ino looked out of place. She didn't know me like Naruto and Sakura knew me and I hoped she felt awkward to learn of how close our friendship was. A part of me was rejoicing that Ino felt awkward. She would get to spend time with them, in the Academy… She'd get to be a ninja. I realized I got envious of her and immediately hated that feeling.

_'__I'm being stupid. I shouldn't think like that, but I just can't help it. DAMN CHILDISH EMOTIONS! I better be taught how to reign in on these emotions!'_

"You know, you guys should spend the rest of the day with Hachiko-chan and make good memories." Ino suggested. I suddenly felt bad about having negative thoughts pertaining her. Silence engulfed us.

"She's right." Naruto broke the silence and Ino gave him a small smile. She excused herself and left us three to enjoy what was left of our time together.


	9. Chapter 9

**[Insert Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><strong>Nine: Honey and Kunai<strong>

At first we were at a loss of what to do. We knew we wanted to spend time together and that we were going to make the most of it but we weren't sure what to do exactly. Naruto's stomach rumbled and Pinkie and I looked at him as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't eat anything since I rushed to the hospital to see Hachiko-chan ya know." He said while scratching his cheek sheepishly. That gave me an idea.

'I've never had Ichiraku Ramen before.' I signed and Pinkie translated. Naruto stared at me as if I was some poor unfortunate soul.

"I can't let this continue, Kami forbid I get punished for not showing you the way. To Ichiraku's!" Naruto confidently exclaimed and then led the way to the ramen stand. I was going to protest, as I had no money but Pinkie beat me to it.

"We don't have money Naruto-kun."

"That's okay, I'm paying! I have to treat my friends to ramen, especially Hachiko-chan. Kami forbid she leave without knowing what her hometown ramen taste like." Damn. Naruto was serious about his ramen. Almost as serious as I was about my candy coffers.

We arrived at the stand and were greeted warmly by the messenger of the ramen gods, according to Naruto, that messenger was old man Teuchi.

"Teuchi-oyaji! I'm inviting my friends for ramen! Hachiko-chan is leaving for a long time tomorrow and she's never had ramen. I couldn't let her go with out at least having a bowl ya know." Naruto announced and the old ramen chef laughed but nodded.

"Ah so you're the Hachiko-chan that this gaki talks and talks about. Then this young lady must be Sakura-chan right?" I felt flattered that Naruto spoke to Teuchi about Pinkie and I. Pinkie was a given since Naruto was majorly crushing on her but me, that was unexpectedly pleasant.

"Well then, today's bowls are on the house. It's not everyday Naruto-chan brings friends." Naruto beamed and thanked the old man.

'Tell him I say thanks.' I signed and Pinkie translated. I got a polite nod and genuine smile from Teuchi. As soon as he set the bowl of ramen down, my mouth watered. Naruto, Pinkie and I ate with gusto.

"Mmm. This is delicious." Pinkie commented. I nodded agreeing with her.

'Tell Naruto I have accepted ramen into my life, second to Candy. I will love candy above all things.' I signed and Pinkie relayed my message earning a laugh from Teuchi and his daughter showed up and fawned over Pinkie and I.

"So adorable. Eh~ Naruto-chan never said he had such cute friends." I blushed but thanked her silently for the compliment. Pinkie herself got beet red. Any compliment made her react like that.

"They're smart too. Hachiko-chan can write really neatly and she signs to communicate and Sakura-chan can understand her." As Naruto added to the compliments, Pinkie began to get shy. Deep down she was still getting use to attention and being out of her shell. I on the other hand just blushed and tried to be modest by waving it off. I wasn't anything special. Just an adult in a child's body, nothing big there.

After ramen we headed out to the park as Sakura wanted to go on the swings. When we got there, Pinkie and I immediately got on the swings and began to have fun but I slowed down when I noticed Naruto just sat on his. I got off the swing I was on and began to help him. Pinkie noticed my efforts and joined me. She and I spent some time teaching Naruto to use his momentum to swing. After he got it down the three of us were swinging high and laughing, well in my case silently laughing. Deciding to take a break, we sat on the grass.

"You two thirsty?" I shrugged but Pinkie nodded.

"I'll go get some juice boxes from one of the vendy thingies." Naruto took off and Pinkie smiled at me.

"You like him a lot huh?" I looked and Pinkie and wondered how much Ino had poisoned her mind.

'He is my friend. Only boy friend actually, er guy friend. Yeah.' I signed trying to make it sound better while Pinkie had a wide grin.

"Ino said you probably weren't aware of your feelings for him and that he wasn't aware of yours and that you'd get defensive about it if I asked." Damn that Ino, corrupting Pinkie's mind with her sociology/psychology mumbo jumbo.

'We're way too young to be thinking about like liking a boy. Just putting that out there. Besides, I'm not his type.' I signed and Pinkie perked up but didn't get to ask questions as Naruto returned with the drinks and an extra person. She had short hair in a bob and distinct Hyūga eyes. I knew who this was and I was damn happy he met her albeit feeling a bit jealous since she'd get to see him from now on. Shoving the green monster in me aside, I focused on the young girl as she stood shyly behind Naruto.

"Hey, this is um, what was your name again?" My eye twitched.

_'Damn your density Naruto!'_

"Um, H-Hyūga H-Hinata." She gave a small bow and I smiled widely until I noticed how messy her kimono was and the small traces of dirt on her face and hands. I took my handkerchief and got up to clean her up. She looked at me as I approached and winced only to be shocked that I was cleaning her face and dusting off her kimono.

"Naruto-kun what happened to her?" Sakura asked while I tended to Hinata.

"These older boys were picking on her so I helped her. I distracted them and got her out of there. I couldn't just leave her alone ya know." Naruto being himself explained and I nodded. I finished cleaning her up best I could and she gave me a small teary smile.

"T-thank y-you." She said quietly. I signed and she looked confused.

"I remember that one! It means 'no problem,' I think." I stared at Naruto bright eyed, wondering when he started learning to sign.

'Where is he learning from?' I asked Pinkie who shrugged. Naruto beamed proudly.

"I've been paying attention when you sign and Sakura-chan translates." Now I was taken aback, he was not only paying attention but he also met Hinata way sooner than I expected. It was official. Canon was dying slowly and subtly. Pinkie introduced herself and I to Hinata. Hinata was quiet most of the time and staring often at Naruto. Never did I think I'd witness some slight one-sided NaruHina action. She had it bad for him judging from the small tint of pink on her cheeks. Shame Naruto only had eyes for Pinkie at the moment. Hinata stayed with us for a bit until a Hyūga came for her. This Hyūga was rude as he ignored Naruto, Pinkie's and mine's existence. Hinata shyly said goodbye. She was adorable but looked uncomfortable leaving with the rude and stern Hyūga.

_'When I return, I'll befriend you Hinata. I'm going to help you out of your shell.'_ I told myself.

The day was closing in on us and we could feel it, it was a few hours till sunset. Naruto chose the final spot to go to. He took Pinkie and I to his favorite place, the top of the Hokage monument. The view was breath taking.

_'I can see why he likes this place… I'm going to miss the village, miss Pinkie, Naruto, even Kakashi.'_

I hugged my knees and my eyes got teary.

"I don't want you to leave Hachiko-chan." Naruto said breaking the silence and my broke through as I stared out into the village below.

"I don't want you to leave either but if it's for your health. I guess-" I heard Pinkie sniffle and Naruto started to sniffle. I didn't want to look at them, it would probably make me cry more.

_'Damn these childish emotional tears.' _I wiped the tears away and tried to get myself together.

"Ahh! This sucks!" Naruto yelled and jumped up and I stopped wiping my tears and I looked at him. He had some snot on his face and tears. He wiped them with his hand and looked at me with dead-set eyes.

"You better come back healthy, smarter and in prime condition. As my right hand lady, you have to take care of yourself so that you can help me when I become Hokage." He proclaimed and his tears won out as did my own. In my emotional fit, I began to rant.

'Why does life have to be sweet like honey and at random a kunai lands into the mix? The two are different and shouldn't mix and yet it happens!' I signed as I cried and tried to control my tears. I was babbling and not making sense. I heard Pinkie manage a laugh.

"What did she say? Was it a question? It started like one." Naruto asked and Pinkie translated and wiped her tears. Now I wasn't certain if she was crying because she was upset or because she was laughing.

"Hachi just compared life to honey and kunai. It doesn't make any sense!" Naruto tilted his head and nodded.

"I'd say ramen and kunai is my life but honey sounds just as good." Naruto added only furthering Pinkie's laughter and in turn making me laugh, it wasn't funny but of course Naruto would compare his life to ramen as I compared mine to honey. As the sun had started to set, we sadly walked back into the village. The smiles were gone and each step felt heavy as we reached the shop.

"Ah. I told myself I wouldn't cry." I heard Naruto say. I turned and looked at him. True enough, he had his arm over his eyes wiping at them. Pinkie was silently crying.

"Nope. I'm going to see you off with a smile. I promised myself I would so why can't I stop crying?" His voice cracked and Pinkie let out a small cry. I quickly hugged both Naruto and Pinkie. My own tears betrayed me once more. We were a messy ball of hugs and tears. Naruto was the first to let go and he slapped his cheeks and held out his hand.

"This isn't goodbye. It's a 'see you later' ya know." He said in a confident voice. Pinkie nodded and wiped her tears. I wiped my tears and took his hand. I nodded and then he quickly let go and turned. He walked off and threw his hand up, his way of saying 'goodbye' as painless as possible.

Pinkie on the other hand hugged me.

"I'll miss you. You're my best friend. Sure I have new friends but you were there for me when no one else was. You save me… Ah." She let out a stifled cry and I fought my own tears back.

"Like Naruto said. We'll meet again. This isn't goodbye. I'll keep an eye out for Naruto for you. I think the Hyūga girl likes him." She said and giggled a little making me shake with laughs as she tried to lighten the situation.

'I know you will. Don't leave him alone for too long. Scold him for misbehaving if you have to but don't leave him alone.' I signed instead of arguing that I didn't like like him.

"I will. See you when you get back Hachiko." She said with a smile and ran off. I suddenly felt so alone and broke into tears.

…

I sat in the shop waiting for the shop hours to finish. I had finished packing and since Naruto and Sakura had left me a crying mess, I currently sat drinking a cup of tea Mim gave me to calm down. Mim and Jun-jiji were at the counter taking care of some of the shoppers.

"Welcome. One of us will be with you in a minute." Mim announced. I looked up wondering who was coming in a few minutes before the shop closed. I immediately recognized Uchiha Itachi and there was an older boy with him. This boy was a looker. Dark eyes, messy dark hair and he wore black like Itachi.

_'Must be an Uchiha.'_

The pair measly glanced at me and immediately I saw red in the unknown boy's eyes but I blinked and looked away quickly.

_'Okay, definitely and Uchiha.'_ I told myself and stared at my teacup for the remaining time in the shop.

After a few minutes and all the customers were tended to, the shop closed and I headed back to the house with my grandparents. After dinner, Mim doubled checked my packed clothing.

"Well everything looks in order. You were quiet all dinner. Everything okay? You had a fun day with Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun?" I nodded and tried not to let the emotions get the best of me. Mim hugged me and petted my hair.

"I know it'll be a long time before you see them again. I know what it's like to leave everything and everyone you know behind." Now that was something I didn't know about Mim's past.

"With time, things get easy but later, when you meet again, it will be just as sweet." I sniffled a bit and nodded. She released me from my hug and began to braid my hair so that it wouldn't get tangled overnight. After she tucked me in, my head hit the pillow and I thought it odd that I had no trouble getting drowsy as soon as Mim said 'goodnight.'

_… Dream Scape …_

_I blinked. Twice. Three times. _

_"I knew it was too easy to fall asleep. I should've questioned why I saw your eyes flash red but no. It was nothing I said." I ranted and a chuckle interrupted my ramble._

_"Itachi wasn't kidding when he said you were quite a chatterbox, for a mute." I froze and stared at Uchiha Shisui._

_"I've never spoken to him… Can't I'm mute remember... Oh no. He didn't. Why don't I remember?!" I screamed within the comforts of my dream… Illusion._

_"I find it highly amusing seeing a little girl talk in a mature young woman's voice." I pouted and earned another small chuckle. I imagined a shoe in my hand and threw it only for him to dodge it._

_"And you can control this very easily. You must have a decent control on your spiritual energy to do that." I huffed and crossed my arms. He had a point but I was more concerned with the fact that there are problems with my memory and those holes in my memory happened to be tied to a certain weasel._

_"Why are you here? What did that damn Weasel do to me that I don't remember?" I growled._

_"Protect you. You told him many things, things you shouldn't know, things that are dangerous… Among those many being that you wished to save me." I froze once more._

_"But Why? Why did I tel-"_

_"You're a strange one, little bee. He said you were the one who suggested it." Once more I froze. I suggested it. What the hell did I do?_

_"You already felt burdened and didn't felt like exploding but you didn't want to risk letting others know or feel guilt over telling anyone… In fact he wasn't supposed to remember any of what you told him either but he had to bend a few rules to ensure the path you spoke of was fulfilled… I'm only here to thank you for trying to save the village, the Uchiha and me. In a way, I'm here of my own accord, Itachi has no idea I'm doing this." I quickly gasped as soon as the idea formed at the front of my thoughts._

_"I'm not going to remember any of this am I?" Shisui's face relaxed a bit and in his eyes where was a sullen reflection._

_"No. I can't undo Itachi's genjutsu."_

_"Why? It sounds like you do want to but why can't you?" I demanded, in a nice way._

_"It's complicated but necessary. My cousin made a complex genjutsu that keeps your knowledge and memories sealed away. Anyone intruding in your mind, wouldn't remember a single thing. It works both ways so that you aren't burdened and don't act different around the infiltrator, keeping you safe. Then there's the second layer of protection. No matter how much you'd like to inform another about events, be it in the past or future, you'll never be able to form the idea to communicate them and that is good. Do you know how dangerous that knowledge is in the hands of others?" I glared and let my hands hand at my sides. I clenched my fists._

_"What right did he and you have to-"_

_"You gave him permission." Shisui interrupted. I stared wide-eyed once more. _

_"Don't you find it strange that you haven't said a thing to me about the future, what's to come, what will happen to me in particular?" It was true. Shisui spoke the truth. I hadn't brought it up. No details from my part._

_"You're subconsciously avoiding the topic, that's how the second layer of protection works. This is the only way to hide your knowledge from being taken by others with vast experience in genjutsu and interrogation." I had planned ahead, protection parameters without being able to remember… Damn was I some sort of genius?_

_"So you and I won't remember a single thing that goes on here… So why bother?" I asked and looked him in the eyes._

_"Because I wanted to thank you. I won't know the details of it but, I have marked my arm to remind me of my attempt and with that, it should suffice, I never do things half ways if it can be helped. I also needed someone to confide in." He said in a sincere quiet voice. He looked sad but then his eyes gleamed with determination._

_"I will follow my cousins wishes. Your wishes however… The future is a scary thing. My death might make a small difference but I'll be sure to make a bigger difference to lessen your load, Itachi-itoko's and Sasuke-chan's." Okay. He lost me completely. What the hell was he talking about? It seemed that he had thought things through but all this trouble just to say thank you, it didn't add up. Was trying to tell me something more?_

_"Hachiko-chan?" I snapped out of my thoughts and blushed as it must have been odd having me just stare at him. He closed the gap and I shied as he put his hand on my head._

_"You be a good girl. Be sure to always watch out and protect Konoha's secrets." I looked up at him and fought my blush._

_"I'm an adult you know. I'm not a child... I just look like one." I mumbled and that earned a smile from him. It was a sad but bright, so similar to Naruto's own expression._

_"Then I guess, you won't mind this," I was taken a back when his eyes were at my level and I felt his lips brush lightly against mine. I knew I was blushing as he pulled away._

_"That's my goodbye kiss." He beamed and grinned. I touched my lips and felt disoriented and drowsy. He faded away and the last I heard was a whisper._

_"Thank you for trying... I won't let you down."_

…

At the break of Dawn I was up. I felt refreshed and for some reason and couldn't go back to sleep. Giving up. I got up and ready for the travel. I dressed in black leggings, my thigh length light yellow t-shirt with elbow length sleeves and as always, put on my white obi. I undid my braid and Mim helped me pull it up in a ponytail. She was up early too but for different reasons. I helped her make some bentos. Jun-jiji woke had gotten up early too to load up our travel bags into a cart we'd be traveling on.

While he dealt with the cart and made sure the oxen, which I had no idea we owned one, were tied and ready. Mim made sure to drill the shop staff and Soujiro-nii. Duelo popped by and took me aside to spend time with me in the courtyard.

"Nervous?" He asked and I let out a heavy sigh.

'I'm scared. If I leave, will my friends drift away? Will they forget me? Will you forget me?' I asked and tried not to let my tears gush out. I felt so odd being insecure but I was a child and I saw how Hinata looked at Naruto and how Ino filled in my place with Pinkie, that left room for such insecurities. I put my head down and hid my tears as they slipped. I felt arms around me, for the first time in ever, Duelo hugged me.

"I can't just forget you. I'm your Dad. Dad will never forget you. Your friends will never forget you. Sakura-chan is your best friend, she admires you quite a lot and Naruto-kun, you're his first friend ever. I don't think those are fickle titles for them to hand out to just anyone." I nodded and hugged him.

It was a little after 8 when Jun-jiji announced we had to start moving. Duelo walked with me and held my hand as we trailed behind the cart. While we walked, I didn't feel so afraid of leaving but still, I wondered if Pinkie and Naruto would show up. While Jun-jiji signed out and made sure we'd have the proper documentation for the travel, we waited at the village gates for a while. Mim sat on the cart while I stood and held Duelo's hand. I sadly looked at Konoha and tried to ingrain the image of it in my mind.

"Alright. Everything is ready to go." I looked at Mim sadly who nodded. I turned to Duelo who smiled sadly at me and knelt to my level. He brought out something from his pocket and took a hold of my left wrist. I heard a soft jingle.

"Since you'll be in a large clan compound. I figured this would help when you want to get attention to communicate. Large estates with lots of people will drown out your one bell." I beamed as he finished clipping a second bell to my bracelet. I smiled brightly and hugged him. I blinked the tears away and pulled away.

'Thank you Daddy.' I signed and earned a small gasp from him and he wiped his eyes quickly before any tears could be shed. He patted my head and sighed.

"Your welcome my daughter." He helped me up on the cart and I sat on the edge dangling my legs from my seat. I could see he was struggling to keep his cool. I felt a compressed ball of static like chakra arrive. I felt familiar with this crackling substance. Beside Duelo, Kakashi poofed into existence. I stared at the two and my tears once more built up. Kakashi took a step forward and put his hand on my head.

"See you later Hachiko-chan." He said and patted my head twice.

I let out a heavy sigh as the ox began moving the cart. Duelo and Kakashi waved.

_'They didn't come.'_ I sulked as I looked past where Duelo and Kakashi stood.

The cart had just moved outside the village gates parameter when I felt it. Three small chakra's and a large one. Two of the small ones were forcing themselves to be small and they felt familiar but I wasn't sure why, while the one was naturally small and very familiar. I moved to peek at the direction they were coming from and there they were. Behind the bright blond, Pinkie was running to catch up and the two suppressed chakras stuck to the shadows. They stopped just at the gate behind Duelo and Kakashi. My eyes filled to the brim with tears.

_'They showed up!'_

"HACHI! HAVE A SAFE TRIP!" Pinkie yelled and jumped. I could tell she was crying as she rubbed her eyes.

"YOU BETTER COME BACK HEALTHY YA KNOW!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs making me silently laugh a little. I moved my hands and hoped they could hear the jingle of my bell.

_'See you later!' _

Mim wrapped her arms around me as I kept staring and crying as they waved. I cuddled into her to cry after they disappeared into the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now you know why it's called Honey and Kunai. The entirety of this story was sweet like honey but a couple of random kunai were thrown in. That last twist with Itachi and Shisui, tell me no one saw that coming? Am I right? I get a feeling I'll get flames for having the small Shisui/Hachiko but keep in mind his future people. Let the man have this one dying wish.**

**Anyways. I am very thankful for those of you that have stuck with me this far. I deeply thank my reviewers and those that followed and favorited. Seriously, that helped me a lot to get these chapters rolling. My ghost viewers, you guys are awesome. Thanks for the silent encouragment. **

**Epilogue/Transition Chapter will be posted as soon as I have it done. **


	10. Epilogue

**[Insert Disclaimer Here], I own nothing but the Hachimitsu Clan.**

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><p><strong>Ten: EpilogueTransition to Part II**

Two Weeks after arrival at the Hachimitsu Compound

_Duelo-Papa,_

_I've only been here a week and I miss Konoha, my friends, even Kakashi. The trip here was boring but very scenic. How have you been? Have you seen Naruto? Pinkie? How are they getting along without me?_

_The Hachimitsu Clan compound is HUGE! It's like it's own little village, there's so many rooms and buildings. Mim, Jun-jiji and I are staying in the main household. There's lots of people here, mostly servants and politicians. Great Grandmother, Kisaki-mama is very important. Jun-jiji wasn't kidding when he said she's like a Daimyo. I don't know how she does it, handling a huge compound and running a cournty, she's like really old! Like Sandaime Old! Her hair is long, wavy and white and we share the same honey colored eyes! She wears fine expensive bright hanbok. _

_Seriously, why wasn't I warned that I'd stand out here? Everyone wears hanbok clothing! All I have to wear are my kimono and my civilian like attire. Mim and Jun-jiji even had hanbok! Kisaki-mama says she's going to fix that though. She's nice and has taken to me well. She's even well learned in KSSL and other various forms of signing from other villages. She says she's going to teach me all the forms she knows while I'm around. She seems really smart in the way she speaks. She's also very silly when we're in private but for the most part, she's regal and proper._

_In the clan there are many separate branches to the family. Kisaki-mama is one of 10 children and her brothers are spread all around the nations handling the minor branch families in different villages. Kisaki-mama's branch is called the main family. Main family members are the only ones allowed to wear gold embroidery on the hems of their pants, skirts, and sleeves. Which means Kisaki-mama, her brothers, their female descendants, Kisaki-mama's sons, one daughter, and any of their female descendants have to wear the gold embroidered clothing. I had no idea Jun-jiji was the oldest of his brothers and wasn't I told this before? Did you know that? _

_I get the feeling this trip is meant for something more than just visiting and getting me better. Mim has filled me in that women in the clan are important to lead the clan and that it's rare for a female to be born into the clan. That's weird right? To know that I can count in my two hands all the female blood relatives in the Clan. Anyways, please tell Naruto and Pinkie that I'm okay. Please reply soon with news about my friends. Oh and take care of yourself. Don't let me find out you're not, or I'll write a letter to Kakashi!_

_Your Daughter, _

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><span>Two Weeks after the Last Letter<span>

_Dear Duelo-Papa,_

_How are you? Still working all the time? I miss you, Pinkie and Naruto so much, I even miss Kakash! I've no one here my age to talk to since most of the clan members keep their distance and greet distantly. You have read Mim's letter right? If not, skip this and read it, NOW! It's urgent. She's much better at the details and political stuff._

_Are you done reading her letter? Yes? Good._

_I don't like the treatment everyone has taken towards me. They address me as Hachiko-hime. I'm not a princess. I'm just Hachiko. I miss you. You'd treat me the same, even as an heiress right? I don't care if it's proper etiquette. Did you know this was going to happen?_

_It's no wonder Kisaki-mama was so interested in meeting me. I'm the only one of three possible heiress to become the family matriarch and of the three, I was chosen because Himitsu-obasan became the Fire Damiyo's concubine and cousin Karen is too easily manipulated by her father, at least that's what I heard the adults say. I know, I shouldn't eavesdrop but it's not my fault they forget I'm mute and not deaf. Ugh. I should've said 'No, pick another heiress Kisaki-mama' but that would've been rude of me after Kisaki-mama asked so kindly. I know… I'm a sucker for nice old people. _

_Duelo-papa, what have I gotten myself into? I thought I was doing the right thing but I didn't expect everyone's behavior towards me to change. Even Jun-jiji in public is a bit regal, formal and distant. Mim is formal but not distant in public. Proper decorum can suck it! I don't like it. In a way maybe it's a good thing I'm the next matriarch. Maybe that way I can decentralize all this formality. What do you think Duelo-papa? Ah, Did you see the cute picture Mim enclosed? I look adorable don't I with my hanbok?_

_Your daughter,_

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><span>Two Weeks after the Last Letter<span>

_Duelo Papa,_

_Yes, I know, I make hanbok look good. Mim commented that you only like the Hanbok because I don't show much skin and that when I'm older it'll hide most of me. Well played sir. I just think it's a bit more comfy than a kimono, despite the layers._

_Yes, I know, I should write to Pinkie and Naruto but I really don't want to disturb their daily life or even give them hopes that I'd be writing often as that cannot be. I will begin training in spiritual energy manipulation. _

_Kisaki-mama pulled strings to get a miko she knows from the Land of Demons to come meet me. Right before writing this letter, I met her, Lady Suisei. She's as old as Kisaki-mama. Lady Suisei agreed to take me under her wing for the next four years. She believes I have potential in mastering not only my spiritual energy but in being able to use Seishinjutsu. She says it's a dying form that predates fuuinjutsu and is difficult to master for most. Lady Suisei also was able to assess the seal work Kakashi did on me. She found it quite similar to one miko's use on their apprentices to get them use to using spiritual energy. In a week I'll begin my training and I was assured I would have little time to myself. As you can imagine my letters will be less frequent. _

_Oh Duelo-papa I miss you and I hope you are doing fine. The New Year is coming up and I don't want you to be alone. Don't be loser for the New Year. Go out with Kakashi, get drinks, get drunk if you must, get a girlfriend, do something. Don't just spend time alone and just working. Nurse Nanase wrote to me and let me know that you've been drowning in your work. I worry for you. As for Naruto and Pinkie, tell them that I miss them and will begin training. The least I can do is keep them posted since I refuse to write. Oh and be sure to give them the gifts I'm sending along!_

_Your Daughter,_

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><span>Letter During the New Year<span>

_Happy New Year Duelo-Papa!_

_How are you? I wasn't kidding in my last letter, did you go out with Kakashi and celebrate like I suggested? Any lady friends I should be aware of? Did you like the gift I sent? As my father, you have to wear the hanbok in formal occasions. You're technically a Main Hachimitsu Clan member since I'm half of you and Half of Rei-Mama. I forgot the proper title for you. Anyways, I personally think the dark blue hanbok would look very good on you. Part of the formalwear is that you have to tie your hair up in a knot with the gold Binyeo stick. You'll have to wear it and take a picture, so that I can see how good you look._

_Thank you for the birthday gift. I love gold bee pendant and I wear it proudly. Kisaki-mama even likes it and wishes she had one. Even though I'm officially eight and I should be happy and excited that I'm older, I'm not. _

_Being Eight means more responsibility as a Hachimitsu Clan child. As you probably were warned by Jun-jiji, Eight is an important year for a child of the clan, especially for an heiress. It marks the beginning in my proper education. To me it all just means 'heiress education'. Not only do I have to learn etiquette, math, and how to write formal letters. I also have to learn politics and philosophy from Kisaki-mama, calligraphy lessons and the art of conversation from Jun-jiji. Then there are the feminine arts that Mim will be teaching me, flower arranging, poetry, music… Papa, what have I done? No one said accepting to be an heiress was going to be so much work! I only get to relax a little when I do my spiritual training exercises._

_ Lady Suisei's training is going well by the way. So far training involves me clearing my mind and overcoming my dark self. It's the only time I have 'me' time. Even if its to overcome the negative emotions in me. I know, what negative emotions could a child have? To be honest it's mostly self-doubt. I have random moments of it and my confidence slips. Do you ever feel that way Papa? I don't want to let people down. I have so much on riding on my shoulders… Sometimes I'm afraid I'll fail everyone._

_Oh papa, I need you here. You would know what to say to me. Even Kakashi's opinion would be nice. I doubt Naruto and Pinkie would be of any help seeing that they get to be normal… Well have some normalcy I won't ever have. Ugh, I must stop being so negative or else my spiritual training won't progress._

_I hope this letter finds you well Duelo-papa. Tell Kakashi I say hello and send my regards to my friends please. Please take care of yourself. I expect to hear you're dating or at least that you were out drinking hard. Socialize Papa! That's what you need. Have you considered dating one of the nurses? Just putting that out there._

_Your Daughter,_

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><span>Six Months Later<span>

_Duelo-Papa!_

_I am so sorry. I hope this letter finds you well. I've missed you so much Papa! Tell my friends I'm sorry for the lack of updates about my training. I've just been so busy! How is everyone? Tell Naruto and Pinkie that I'm sorry for not replying to their letter. It's not that I didn't want to, it's just that I got really emotional. Don't get me wrong I was happy I got their letter but I was also sad. I miss them so much. I have missed little things like Naruto's progress on his dream to becoming Hokage and Pinkie's blossoming confidence. I guess in a way, I got a bit out of hand as I got a bit depressed. _

_Lady Suisei had me train extra hard in isolation away from others so I could focus and rein in on my emotions. Kisaki-mama agreed that I have to master my emotions and how I project them, mask them even. So this entire time since I received their letter, I have been 'exiled' so that I can fine-tune my emotions and how to react. As it happens, spiritual energy is volatile to emotions. Emotions throw off intent and intent is important for the manipulation of spiritual energy and for physical training. _

_Physical Training is much more taxing than heiress lessons and meditation. I have to be able to protect myself not only from bandits and those who wish to harm the Hachimitsu Clan. However, Lady Suisei has higher standards, she expects me to be able to keep up with ninja and be able to disarm one. Lady Suisei has gotten me started in archery and senbon, which I like since it's almost like being a ninja. Ah, no point in dwelling in the past right?_

_Duelo-Papa, I need your opinion and help. As of lately I've noticed something strange about me. Ever since I started meditation, I've been having extra sensitivity with chakra. I informed lady Suisei and she says that I'm detecting natural energy. I've been told not to mess with it until I'm better trained. I have noticed though that it's getting harder and harder to ignore. I know it's there and I can feel it as it amplifies the emotions of those around me, it's been giving me headaches lately especially during dinner with the other clan members. I feel something tense and it turns ominous._

_I've informed Lady Suisei and she's been teaching me to hide my discomfort for the time being and ask you, since you're a medic on what I should take for the headaches. So what do you suggest I take Duelo-Papa? Please write back soon._

_Your daughter,_

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><span>Four Weeks after the Last Letter<span>

_Dear Duelo-Papa,_

_The pills you suggested have worked wonders against the headaches. How are you? Mim informed me that you've been worried over me ever since she wrote to you about the incident. _

_I'm sorry I didn't write sooner to tell you myself but I didn't wish to burden you. I understand if you are angry with me but I am fine. The assassin didn't get me. I was able to sense him before he got to my room. I barricaded myself in the wardrobe in my room. I set up a seishinjutsu barrier with a simple seal Lady Suisei taught me. Seishinjutsu Barriers are only as strong as my own body and soul. I won't lie to you Papa, I was scared. The feeling, the aura that came with the assassin was pure hatred and malice. I-I don't believe this will be my last encounter with death. I know Jun-jiji and everyone believes I don't know who did it but… I do know. I can't hide it from you Papa._

_I know it was Jun-jiji's brother that tried to kill me. Papa, why are the adults trying to hide it from me? Do they think I won't handle it? I'm not some fragile figurine. I understand that the world is much more cruel and twisted than they are trying to paint it out to be, which is why I'm taking my training serious. I will get strong enough to protect myself and the clan. I will lead the Hachimitsu Clan with no complaints. I'm done doubting myself._

_Please don't tell Naruto or Sakura anything about the assassination attempt. Please. I don't need them to worry over me when they have their own studies, or in Naruto's case, pranks to focus on. You better not start being a father hen too, understood? It's bad enough that the altercation left Mim to fuss over me and Jun-jiji went into a battle mode I've never even seen. This is the last letter I'm writing Papa. I will put all my heart into my training and I promise the next time you see me, you'll see how far I've come along, how much I've grown. Please inform my friends that I wish to complete my training with no contact and for them to keep me in their thoughts as I will keep them in mine._

_Your Strong Daughter,_

_Hachiko_

* * *

><p><strong>Kisaki-mama POV<strong>

"Kisakai-mama, Jun-sama is here to see you." The servant said.

Kisaki nodded and waved to let her eldest son in. Kisaki knew this day was coming. Jun would return to Konoha and continue his self-imposed exile and with his departure, her chosen heiress would be leaving. Jun physically aged very little despite his true age. He was blessed with the clan's youthful luster. He even looked somewhat like his father. Kisaki smiled at the olden memories as Jun entered the office in his regal black hanbok with gold decorations. His long golden brown hair was pulled up in a high tight knot.

"Mother." He said and bowed.

_'Always so formal.'_

Kisaki smiled and asked him to sit. In the past five years, so much had to change. Her only granddaughter turn statue as she was practically killed after a failed assassination attempt on Hachiko-chan, Kisaki's heiress and great-granddaughter. Hachiko-chan was left marked after killing her own relative at age 9. The child was no longer full of wonder and curious smiles. It had been bad enough that after the first assassination attempt, Hachiko-chan threw herself into her training without her childish complaints but after the second attempt, she was left a shell. It had taken a long time to get her to where she was now. She's never be the bright little girl she once was, now she was silently peaceful and her eyes held a deep wisdom but her firm loyalty, it never wavered.

Kisaki left her thoughts behind and focused on her son, Jun.

"I'll be blunt as always, you've come to inform me that you're going to leave soon. Correct?" Jun nodded and Kisaki smiled sadly.

"I see. Is there no way to convince you, Mimori and my heiress to stay?"

"I'm sorry mother. So long as _he _is roaming free, it's best to stay in Konoha. Mori has agreed as well. You know I cannot put Hachiko-chan in danger not after failing to keep Rei safe and well." Kisaki knew how much Jun had berated himself when Rei died. He had let her live her life as she wished and in pursuit of her dream to be the first Kunoichi in the clan, she died a hero. He was so caught up in his misery that he just couldn't see how many clan members Rei inspired to take up the shinobi profession although those inspired were in the different shinobi villages.

"Hachiko-chan is in more ways than one, like her mother. Independent, intelligent and a natural leader though she is unaware of it. Her strength she's shown since the assassination attempts has inspired our clan members near and far. She's overcome her disability. She's trained in Seishinjutsu, an olden and nearly lost art from and was taught by a powerful miko and she's only a child of 12. If she stays that shows off her courageous character but as my heiress, you and your brother are right, she is better off in Konoha until the time comes." Kisaki had to say all of that to ensure the Jun understood the strengths in Hachiko. Strengths that sometimes, he undermined when he was being a worry wart.

"Thank you for that mother." Jun simply said but Kisaki knew he was relieved she agreed with his and Mori's plan.

"What do you and Mori know of Akuzetsu?" Kisaki asked curious to what her eldest sons knew about her rebellious son.

"There is without a doubt that the Clan Compound will be attacked. Mori's spies have confirmed his next move. I had to move up the departure date. Mori has set up an evacuation drill for the staff on the day of his attack, that way Akuzetsu won't suspect a single thing. Mori and I have received word from the other family branches… Akuzetsu has been busy these past four years and killed off all the female-born Hachimitsu. Mother you are not safe here. With just Mori to protect you and the few trained guardsmen, it's not safe you should leave with me." Kisaki clenched her fists.

"So he has come to this, he intends to end the clan's tradition… I will not be leaving with you." Kisaki decided leaving Jun in shock.

"Mother you don't have to stay, you don't even need to stay with me in Konoha, Himitsu-imoto contacted me and she'd be delighted to host you. Mother, are you listening?" Kisaki unfurled her fists. Generations of Tradition were going to be wiped out all for spite and from her own child. With a firm and cold heart Kisaki looked at Jun in the eyes.

"I am listening. As the Lady of the Land of Honey, I cannot leave, that would be abandoning my position and I'd never do that. I'd rather die, even at the hand of my own son. I'd rather that over running away and being remembered by the people who choose me, my clan to rule, as a coward. Hachimitsu are not cowards. We sting back even at the cost of our lives." Kisaki said firmly, her conviction and position are what she built up for decades and she would not see it be destroyed by her own hand. She'd rather die and be destroyed with it. Jun gave a small tight smile and chuckle.

"You are where she get's it from. That unwavering determination and loyalty, it burns brightly in Hachiko." Kisaki then knew she had made a good choice in heiress.

"Then it's a good thing she's my successor. Have you informed Sandaime Hokage of Hachiko's new title? Ah, I wonder how he'll take it. I remember the last time I heard from him, he was particularly hurt that I left him in the middle of the night." Jun's eye twitched and Kisaki inwardly grinned, no one, not even her children liked hearing of her romantic trysts with the various men she solicited in hopes of baring strong children for the main clan line.

"I have. As a Konoha Citizen, Hachiko-chan has the protection necessary however if she needs extra protection it will cost a bit more. As for her title, the Civilian and Shinobi Council will be informed." Jun informed Kisaki.

"When do you plan to leave?" Kisaki asked.

"Two days. Hachiko, Mimori and Myself leave tomorrow." Kisaki nodded and Jun excused himself as she had to pack. Kisaki smiled sadly and pulled out a photograph, it was one the entire clan took on the first new years Hachiko-chan celebrated with the clan. This photograph was the last time, Kisaki's family was complete before it all went to hell. Letting out a sad sigh, Kisaki tucked the photo in her pocket that was right over her heart.

**-Two Days Later-**

Kisaki watched her son, daughter-in-law and heiress leave the clan compound. They traveled in disguise with the servants that were leaving for the day. It was plain but necessary for the trio to travel as discreet as possible. Jun took on plain brown hanbok and let his hair down and wore a straw hat. Mimori, wore a light blue shirt with red lining and a dark blue chima skirt, her hair pulled up in a bun with a dark blue ribbon. To anyone else in the land of honey, they'd look like commoners.

Kisaki moved her eyes and now stared at Hachiko's retreating back. It was a shame she couldn't wear her golden accented hanbok for the travel. Instead Hachiko wore a soft pink shirt and dark green chima skirt. Her golden brown hair was braided with a dark green ribbon.

"For the past five years I've seen my little bee grow comfortable with her wings. Never have I seen her walk with hope." Kisaki said to Lady Suisei who stood beside her.

"Aye. I've noticed it as well. Ever since she learned of her return to Konoha, the small dying light in her eyes has rekindled. Perhaps this is what she needs to fully recover and truly move on." Kisaki agreed with Lady Suisei. Kisaki silently hoped that in Konoha, Hachiko would the way to heal her tired and cracked soul. Setting her one final look at the trio before she lost them in the crowd, Kisaki let a lone tear slip past her controlled face. This was after all, the last time she'd see them.

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><p><strong>AN: ... Things can never go smooth for Hachiko. it pained me to write out Kisaki's POV but I managed it. I really wanted to write out Hachi's POV as it would be very interesting for you all to see her changed demenor but, I decided to hype up her return in Part II. **

****In the next chapter there's just a list of the Hachimitsu Clan Members, I figured some of you might be interested in it, if not you can skip it.****

****ANYWAYS...****

**I'd like to take the time to thank all of you. For real, this means a lot to me. This is a big milestone. My first complete story. On my hard drive I have dozens of unfinished stories, not necessarily about Narutoverse, but it took me a long time to pick one and stick with it. Honey and Kunai only had 4 chapters done when I published it. It had sat around my hard drive for 2 years. I chose it because it was easy to roll with after I re-developed my writing style.**

**So yeah, this is a big deal for me. I hope to you all enjoyed this fic and i hope you join me for Part II once I have it up. **

**For now fellow readers, Stay Golden.**

**-Anbu**


	11. Hachimistu Clan Extras

**A/N: **I DID A DOUBLE POST. **THIS IS NOT THE EPILOGUE, GO TO THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, YOU WILL FIND IT THERE. I'M SORRY IF THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION. **

**Here is a bit about the clan protocol and the current main family members.**

**I own the Hachimitsu Clan, So HA! That is all.**

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><p><strong>The Hachimitsu Clan Protocol:<strong>

**A woman must be Head of the Clan**

Think of them as the Queen Bee in a hive. Their role is to ensure the continuity of the clan through their children. The Matriach of the Clan doesn't have to marry or be tied down to one man**. **Kisaki-mama was known for her many romantic trysts and having different men, who she deemed strong, sire her children.

**Any woman of Hachimitsu Blood is eligible to be chosen by the current matriarch as heiress.**

**If the matriarch dies without naming an heiress, preference is given to the current matriarchs direct decendents, starting with the eldest female with closest relations to the current Matriarch. Direct Daughters getting preference followed by the daughters of the eldest son, then the daughters of next son, etc. ****If there are no direct decenents, then the current matriarch can choose from the eleigble women in the branch families.**

Kisaki-mama's daughter, Himitsu is the eldest female of the current main line but she withdrawled from her right. The next in line, Rei, who is Jun-jiji's daughter, but she's dead. Third in succession would've been Karen, Akuzetsu's daughter. Kisaki-mama however chose Hachiko over Karen.

**Should there be no women of Hachimitsu blood, then the eldest son of the previous matriarch may become clan head until the next Hachimitsu daughter is born, who will automatically become heiress until her 16th year.**

**At age 8, clan children are to be educated in basic clan education. **

**Age 16 within the Clan is adulthood.**

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><p><strong>Hachimitsu Clan Current Main Family Line<strong>

**Kisaki-mama**, the 3rd child of the Previous Hachimitsu Main family, serves as current Matriarch of the Hachimitsu Clan and Lady of the Land of Honey. Deals with politics and laws in the Land of Honey.

**Jun-jiji**, eldest son, retired swordsman, prefers to practice the Clan's Confectionary Art. Exiled himself after a fight with Akuzestu. Relinquished his position as the Clan's Head of Internal Affairs to Mori.

**Mimori**, Jun-jiji's wife originally from the San Clan, one of the great clans in the Land of Honey. Artistic and Enjoys to bake.

**Rei**, Jun and Mimori's only child, Kunoichi of Konohagakure, died in Kyuubi Attack.

**Kuroyama Duelo**, Medic, through Rei and by being father of Hachiko, is an unofficial member of the clan.

**Hachiko**, Rei and Duelo's daughter, Kisaki-mama's chosen heiress.

**Mori **is the second eldest, swordsman, has no children. Current Clan Head of Internal Affairs.

**Akuzetsu** is the third eldest, swordsman, one daughter, no sons. Secretly, learned the shinobi arts.

**Karen**, Akuzetsu's daughter, was raised to belive she would be the clan heiress. Tried to kill Hachiko but failed and died at Hachiko's hand.

**Himitsu-obasan**, fourth born, is the Fire Damiyo's concubine, trained in the arts and politics, has one son.

**Mitsubachi**, 14 years old, Himitsu's son, aspiring politician.


	12. Holiday Special Chapter

**A/N: Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays. I had this planned for quite a while and I hope you all enjoy!**

**[Insert disclaimer here]**

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><p><strong>Special Chapter – A Year Before Honey and Kunai II<strong>

Hachiko walked down the street of vendors next to Kisaki-mama. The aged Matriarch smiled and eyed the men as she walked through the street. Hachiko didn't miss the small amount of allure her great-grandmother was emitting. For the outing, Kisaki-mama wore her most expensive and alluring attire. A dark red hanbok and pink silk shirt with, that the woman claimed could catch the eye of any man. Even in her aged state, the woman still oogled at men.

"You haven't signed a single word." Kisaski-mama said looking at her young heiress, Hachiko. Hachiko was a younger version of Kisaki, or so Kisaki claimed. The girl had her hair braided and tied off with a light green ribbon with gold designs.

Hachiko shrugged. For the past four years, Hachiko had become accustomed to the distance the people of the Land of Honey kept from her. In ways, she knew it was because she was mute and they didn't know how to sign. Despite being use to their distance and gawking whenever she signed, it was still uncomfortable. Kisaski-mama weekly brought Hachiko out to 'take a break from training'.

"You know, the new year is coming up. How about you shop now for your friends gifts." Hachiko contemplated and nodded.

"Well then, what will we look at first? Things for your best friend or should we shop first for your boyfriend." Kisaki-mama grinned as Hachiko began to blush.

'He's not my boyfriend. I've told you, he's my best boy, er, guy friend.' Hachiko signed and controlled her blush and her indifferent mask returned. Kisaki-mama sighed at that.

_'__At least I got her to drop her stoic face.'_

"Well then let's get both of them something they can use on several occasions. I'm pretty sure your friends have gotten tired of you sending books and instant ramen." Hachiko let a little smile make its way on her face. That was the most Kisaki-mama could manage out of the young heiress in public.

"Maybe you can make them as special gift. We can buy all the materials. I was even thinking that we could buy fabrics. I know you're not a fan of the pink and soft colors, so we can get a way with getting you some cool colored fabrics and our tailor can make them for you." Hachiko nodded as she looked at her soft pink chima skirt and yellow shirt with horizontal stripped soft blue, pink and green sleeves.

Kisaki-mama smiled noting how even if Hachiko acted mature and stoic at times, she still acted like a child and hated to be coddled and treated like one. Maybe it was time to get the young girl more teen-appropriate clothes. Her budding chest on a childish jeogori shirt looked very out of place.

The two Hachimitsu entered a small clothing shop with fabrics that lined all around the walls. Hachiko's eyes immediately fell on the dark orange fabrics that sat at the bottom of the shelves.

"K-Kisaki-sama!" The shop assistant exclaimed and quickly the assistant was shoved back and an older woman in a dark blue chima and white top made her way forward.

"Kisaki-sama, it's an honor to have you and your great-granddaughter in our shop." the old woman bowed.

"Oh, no formality needed. My great-grandchild is looking for fabrics. Her wardrobe needs to be upgraded and I think she's gotten another project idea in mind." Kisaki-mama said and nodded for the old woman to look at Hachiko.

"That fabric interests you?" The old woman asked Hachiko who was knelt and touching the dark orange fabric.

'It's perfect for him.'

"We'll take that one, all of it." Kisaki-mama said and the old woman nodded.

"That fabric, although silk, not many like the color, however it seems I did right in keeping it in stock." Hachiko then stood up and spotted a unique fabric. It was red with white little flowers embroidered on the ends. Then there was a pink ribbon with little green leaf patterns.

'These are perfect for Pinkie.' Hachiko signed and Kisaki-mama asked for those as well. Kisaki-mama chose out several other colors that would suit Hachiko. She noticed that Hachiko held the dark orange and red and pink ribbons fabric carefully as to not wrinkle them.

-Back at the Hachimitsu Compound-

Hachiko stared at the formal hanbok the clan tailor made. The top was dark orange and around the middle a black belt with dark blue. The pants were black. Hachiko guestimated the height and size for Naruto. She hoped it would fit him. As she stared at the suit. She pictured Naruto in it and then figured out that on his forehead a bandana with the Uzumaki symbol would go perfect.

"Hachiko-hime?" Hachiko looked at the tailor who was a nervous. Kisaki-mama stood next to the nervous man.

'I'd like one more piece. A thick ribbon, three fingers wide with a gold embroidered swirl in the middle.' I requested and Kisaki-mama translated. The tailor nodded. Hachiko smiled a little and hoped Naruto loved the gift.

-Two weeks later in Konoha-

Sakura sighed as she took off her shoes. Sasuke-kun had gotten away from her and that damn Ino-pig dared make fun of her when she too lost track of him.

"Sakura! There's a package for you." Sakura rushed into the kitchen where her mother, Mebuki sat with papers spread all over the table.

"Kuroyama Duelo dropped by earlier but you weren't here. He asked me to tell you that Hachiko-chan wrote and sent this for you." Sakura stared at the package. It was smaller than the others and it was evident it wasn't books.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Sakura nodded and carefully opened the package. She gasped at the sight. There were two silk ribbons with beautiful detailed embroidery. There were a few hair pins with cherry blossoms that jingled.

"These must have cost so much." Mebuki gasped and Sakura could only agree. She had not been expecting this. Sakura touched the ribbons and hair pins. Then she saw folded paper underneath the trinkets and ribbons. She took it out while her mother admired the hair pins.

_Pinkie!_

Sakura shook her head. That never got old and it seemed hachi wouldn't abandon the nickname.

_I got tired for sending you reading material. I figured, well Kisaki-mama suggested I instead send you something you can use over and over for formal occasions and even for regular use. My great-grandmother has heard a lot about you from me and wouldn't stop pestering that you deserved more that just book._

_Anyways, I saw the ribbons and thought of you immediately. I imagine you've grown out your hair and they would contrast perfect on your hair. As for the hair pins, those I had specially made. There's a jewler here that makes just about everything. Those pin's are pure silver and the flowers are actual gems. Since you're going to be a kunoichi, I figured if you ever have to take a mission where you have to play the part of a princess lady-in-waiting, these would work well for those purposes or perhaps if you wear them for dates. _

_I hope this letter finds you well and you better not make a fuss over the expensive gift. I bare also good news. I'll be returning to Konoha in a year. So you can make a fuss when we meet again or do me a favor and just accept the gifts. You're a pretty girl and pretty girls need pretty hair accessories to accentuate their beauty. _

_I can't wait to see you in a year dear friend,_

_-Hachiko_

Sakura's eyes bugged out and she re-read the letter. Her mother plucked out the letter out of Sakura's hands.

"Real gems. Real silver!" Sakura snapped out of her stupor.

"Hachiko-chan is very wealthy to give these out… Kisaki-mama… That's the Lady of the Land of Honey!" Mebuki yelled and Sakura looked at her mother oddly.

"She's a princess. Why didn't' you tell me?!" Sakura was officially at a loss.

"I-I didn't know." It was the truth. Sakura had never heard anything but updates about Hachi's training and well being from Duelo-san.

"My daughter friends with a princess. Oh the council is going to eat this up." Sakura sighed and took her ribbons and hairpins to her bedroom while her mother ranted about gaining political leverage during meetings. Sakura was simply happy that Hachi would return soon and with her return, Sakura hoped Hachi would forgive her for not being there for Naruto.

-With Naruto-

The sun was already down and the nightlife was only beginning. Naruto walked the streets alone, even though he knew he shouldn't have. He had put in some extra time to train after most of the afternoon he spent setting up a prank for the chunnin on guard at the gate. They often shooed him away whenever he'd just stare out at the road beyond the gates. Naruto let out a sigh as walked past the glares and hushed whispers.

"Monster. No good… Shh. Someone might hear."

_'__Because no one else can hear you whisper so loud, right.' _Naruto silently quipped.

He kept walking but he felt so alone. He missed Hachiko-chan. She'd never abandon him. For the past four years although she was reluctant to write, she would send him gifts. Like different types of ramen from the Land of Honey. She was… One of his precious people, Hokage-jiji being the only other.

After the fallout with Haruno… Sometimes all he had were memories of better times. Like when he met Hachiko-chan and how she handn't reproached him. Not once did she let the glares aimed at him bother her… She was different from all the other girls he'd met.

Haruno Sakura, his first crush, turned out to aspire to be like Hachiko-chan. Naruto learned from Haruno that Hachiko-chan had saved her from being bullied when everyone else just stood around and watched or simply looked away. However, Haruno was not brave like Hachiko-chan. Hachiko-chan stood up against the adults. The adults. That girl had fire and Naruto was drawn to that fire in her. Now that he thought about it, everything he saw in Haruno, he had already seen in Hachiko-chan.

"Naruto-kun." Naruto looked up and saw Duelo-oyaji standing by the apartment door.

"Duleo-oyaji! How are you doing did Hachiko-chan write? Sorry I didn't stop by today, I was training ya know." Naruto smiled and noticed Duelo held a package.

"It's fine. You're an aspiring ninja but it's pretty late to be out Naruto." Naruto nodded unlocked his door.

"Ya wanna come in?" Naruto asked Duelo who shook his head.

"I'm just here to pass on a gift. Hachiko sent her gifts for the New Year and in my letter said she's fine and that she had something big to tell you and Sakura-chan but that she'd tell you herself in a small letter." Naruto beamed and took the brown package. It felt like… Not ramen.

"Thanks! I can't wait to open it. You sure you don't want to stay?" Duelo shook his head.

"I have a shift at the hospital. I'll come by tomorrow. Make sure to get enough rest alright?" Naruto nodded and waved goodbye to the man. He rushed inside the apartment and cleared out his table. He even wiped it down, this was a gift from Hachiko-chan after all and by the size of it and feel, it was going to be an expensive gift.

Naruto carefully opened the package and froze. It was clothes but not just any clothes. It was dark orange. He pulled out the orange top and stared at it with wide blue eyes.

_'__This is fancy stuff that those rich lords wear… Su-no Si-Silk.' _

A slip of paper fell down on what looked like black trousers. He carefully put down the dark orange top and picked up the slip of paper.

_Naruto,_

_As your right hand woman, I had to make sure you had something formal to wear for those fancy occasions. No future Hokage should go without having formal attire. Consider this practice for when you're older._

_It's Mens Hanbok by the way. Men here in the land of Honey wear these all the time but this one in particular is a formal attire and of the fanciest kind, it's supposed to reflect your honor and higher standing. I had this customized just for you, Mr. Orange Hokage._

_My training is coming along just well. At the pace I'm going, I'll be back in Konoha within a year. Yes. Its official Naruto, we'll meet again in year. For now stay strong and train hard, I want to see how much you've improved._

_Your right hand woman,_

_-Hachiko_

He was officially the happiest person ever! He stared at the letter and then proceeded to hug it. Naruto didn't' realize when his tears betrayed him.

Even from far away, Hachiko believed in him and now there was no way he would let her down. He screamed as he noticed the wrinkles on the letter. He smoothed it out and set it down. Then he spotted a ribbon. It was dark orange but on the middle it had a golden swirl. His finger traced the swirl.

"Hachiko-chan." He simply said and smiled. She was definitely special and he would never be letting go of her.

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><p><strong>AN: It's the season of giving and I gave in to this special chapter, been on my mind since November. I do believe I tied it well in to the main story and it's a nice little filler between HK and Part II. Not to mention those of you who read the latest chapter of Part II, now we have the back story to how Naruto got his orange hanbok. :D**

**I hope you all enjoyed this! Happy Holidays everybody!**


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